15:00, 14 October 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
A 56-year-old man living with Motor Neurone Disease has courageously taken on a 100-mile challenge, to raise funds for Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Impressively, Ian Flatt has already completed one 100-mile walk raising £17,500 for charity. And now he's committed to another 100 miles, raising funds for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal at the hospital in Leeds, despite needing a respirator for 16 hours a day.
The walk, which crosses the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds, started at the Sutton Bank National Park Centre on Tuesday 12 October.
It will end at Whitby Bay in around four weeks time, at which point Ian will have completed around 20 separate walks to reach his 100-mile target, including some of his favourite trails around the Hole of Horcum, Rievaulx Moor and Thixendale.
(Read about the friends with Parkinson’s tackling a challenging trek)
“I was inspired to take on another 100-mile challenge to support this important appeal, spearheaded by Rob and his family," he says. "Such a facility would make a vital difference to people like me and our loved ones. A bespoke care centre that meets the needs of MND sufferers and their families is so needed as MND is such a cruel disease.”
Ian, who is supported by his wife Rachael and two daughters, was diagnosed with MND in early 2019.
“The walk earlier this year was so exhilarating, it was one of the best times of my life, it was just so beautiful," he says. "It gave me a huge sense of purpose and positivity to receive such support from the public, and raise over £17k for charities. I hope to reach a similarly impressive figure this time round.”
He adds: “Motor Neurone Disease is a disease for which there is no treatment or cure, with 50% of sufferers sadly dying within the first two years of diagnosis. Thanks to the critical help, compassion, expertise and kindness provided by the specialist MND Team in Leeds, my family and I have maintained our sense of fun, and our wonderful ability to laugh with each other. Whilst my mobility, dexterity and respiratory functions are failing, my sense of adventure remains intact.”
(This virtual North Pole trek raised money for local hospice care)
His appeal hopes to raise £5 million to create a purpose built centre for people living with MND and their families.
The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease will see a team of 12 medical professionals, based at a brand new location, with all MND services housed under one roof for the first time. This will help reduce travel across hospital sites and be much more easily accessible. Here, patients will have access to a range of holistic support tailored to their needs, from speech and language therapy, to diet and nutrition advice, and physiotherapy.
Patients will see consultants from neurology, palliative care, and respiratory medicine alongside a multidisciplinary team of highly skilled professionals. Supporting all aspects of the patient’s journey, the vision is for a space that is bright and modern, that has windows and gardens, with spaces for families to be together, or quiet rooms to reflect in after difficult conversations.
You can donate to Ian’s fundraising page here or find out more about Leeds Hospitals Charity and the important work it does here.
