Coffee Morning

in aid of the

Motor Neurone Disease Association

takes place on 24th July 2010 at 10am

in Warkworth’s Memorial Hall

WIDOW’S CASH-RAISING CAMPAIGN FOR DEADLY DISEASE RESEARCH

Steph and Roger

The widow of a motor neurone disease (MND) victim is embarking on a campaign to raise cash to aid research into the deadly condition.

Stephanie Wilkinson, a home tutor of Warkworth whose husband Roger died aged 56 in January this year, is arranging a coffee morning and a long distance sponsored walk on Hadrian’s Wall with sons Ben and Matthew.

The proceeds of the events will add to the near £4000 already raised in the wake of Roger’s death through local collections and money handed in at the funeral service in Warkworth Parish Church.

Northumberland County Council architect Roger, whose designs included Cornhill First School and Bedlington Magistrate’s Court together with technical input on Woodhorn Colliery Museum, was diagnosed with progressive bulbar palsy, a particularly aggressive form of MND, in April 2009. At that time Roger was still active, playing five-a-side football and taking walks in the Lake District. The condition attacks the throat and vocal chords first making speech impossible and swallowing very difficult.

Said Stephanie: “I didn't know much about this disease before Roger was diagnosed. I thought that it was a slow moving condition and it was a shock to learn that half those diagnosed with this form of MND die within 14 months; in Roger’s case it was just eight and a half months.

"Very little government money is invested into researching the causes of this disease, there’s no cure and no real treatment other than palliative care,” she added.

The coffee morning in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association takes place on July 24 at 10am in Warkworth’s Memorial Hall, home of the local drama group which has contributed £1300 to the Association in Roger’s memory, coffee and cakes will be sold and there will also be a raffle.
 
And in September, Stephanie, Ben and Matthew will be walking 25 miles along Hadrian's Wall.

“Roger loved walking and this trek with the boys seems an entirely appropriate way of raising money for the MND Association,” said Stephanie.

Anybody wishing to contribute to the fund raising effort can do so online by visiting: www.justgiving.com/Matthew-Wilkinson0

Stephanie Wilkinson can be contacted on 01665 712261