Words by Smiley Team
A son has committed to complete a 90-day fitness and weight loss challenge to raise awareness of a rare brain disease affecting his mum.
Marc Watters, from Belfast, is aiming to lose three stones in three months through a combination of walking 10,000 steps a day, cold water swimming and other activities, as well as posting live weigh-ins on social media.
He hopes to raise awareness about the brain disease Corticobasal Degeneration, or CBD, which his mum Jacqui was diagnosed with five years ago.
Marc also wants to raise money for the charity PSPA, who support people living with CBD and a similar brain disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
Marc, who started his challenge mid-April, said: “Initially, since the disease is so rare, health professionals had never come across mum’s illness before.
“Mum didn’t really tell anyone about her diagnosis as she has little information or knowledge of the disease which was a very frightening, lonely and challenging time for her.
“But after linking in with PSPA and realising so many people have the same experience, having never heard of CBD before their diagnosis, mum decided she wanted to start telling people, to make them more aware of the condition, and to also ensure others did not have the same early experience she had during her diagnosis.
“By taking on my 90-day weight loss challenge, I’ll not only be fundraising to support a really helpful charity, but I’ll be helping mum spread the word about CBD too.”
CBD is a rare, degenerative brain disease which causes brain cells to become damaged and die over time, which leads to difficulties with movement, speech, memory and swallowing. Unfortunately, there is no single test for CBD nor is there a treatment or a cure.
The charity aims to promote and fund research to understand the causes of both CBD and PSP, improve diagnosis, develop new treatments and ultimately find a cure.
They also support people and their families living with the conditions, and raise awareness, particularly with decision makers and healthcare professionals, so they can recognise the conditions and have the skills and knowledge to help those affected access the right services at the right time.
To find out more visit their website or follow them on Twitter. You can donate to Marc’s fundraising efforts here.
