Millie’s Great South Run for Parkinson’s UK
On October 19th 2025 I will be running the Great South Run in memory of my amazing Grandma who passed away from Parkinson’s in 2017!
Raising money for Parkinson’s UK is crucial because it supports the ongoing fight against Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide.
Funds raised help advance vital research into better treatments, and ultimately a cure, to improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s.
Additionally, the money provides essential services, support, and information to patients and their families, helping them manage the physical, emotional, and social challenges of the disease.
By contributing, we help empower those affected by Parkinson’s, give hope for breakthroughs, and play a part in improving the lives of future generations.
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page, I really appreciate your support!
Please help by sponsoring my challenge. All money raised will help fund breakthroughs and help support the Parkinson's community.
My updates
John Story
Thursday 20th Mar My friend and colleague John has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and has given me permission to share his story.Having recently been diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease I thought I would share my last 14 months experiences coping with this diagnosis and medication and my mental health. Parkinsons, in most cases, is a slow progressive disease and the period of progression is different for everyone. We all know about Michael. J. Fox and Billy Connelly and immediately recognise these symptoms as Parkinsons, but Parkinsons generally goes unnoticed for many years before a visible tremor is present.
I first discovered something wasn’t right during a somewhat heated discussion on the phone one day when my left arm started shaking and it wouldn’t stop shaking. Every evening thereafter my left arm would tremor, this continued for 6 weeks until I got to the doctors who then sent me to see a neurologist at QA hospital, who, after a few simple tests, confirmed I had Parkinson’s, and I’ve possibly have had it for the past 5 years but only now was the disease showing visible signs.
One year on from this I found at times I have difficulty in walking, I am now on medication every 4 hours, Co-Careldopa, which must be taken every 4 hours on the dot, so I use the alarm on phone to remind me and disappear for my medical cocktail. The medication only helps with the stiffness of movement not the tremors or control, sadly there is no cure for the tremors. There is surgery called ‘Deep brain stimulation’ (DBS) but this too is not a cure and only masks the diseases progression and is a very invasive operation.
Balance can be a big problem; I personally can cope with the rest of the symptoms at present but like all sufferers I have good and not so good days.
It’s not all bad news though, I’m not allowed in the attic to get the Christmas tree down and we’ve run out of crockery for me to drop trying to do the washing up. I am currently trying to persuade my wife that I can’t do the hoovering but she’s having none of it. I also use less bubble bath now as it goes further with one arm shaking constantly.
I would like to finish off by saying, should I act in a clumsy manner, walk into things or worse, then laugh with me please.
Cheers, John
Thank you to my sponsors
£5
Paul Mackie
£20
Susan Endean
£15
Lisa Lewington
Well done Millie 🥰
£50
Peter Mckay
£10
Lisa Vinhas
Well done Millie 🎉
£20
Shaun Martinez
Fabulous!!!! Tell Ryan to join you!
£30
John Hitchcocks
Well done Millie x
£5
Anonymous
£20
Jess Hitchcocks
Go on Millie!! Such a good cause, as close to my heart as it is yours 💙 you’ll smash it!! Xxx
£20
Cameron Rodger
£10
Rachel Evans
Good luck my beauty! You’ll smash it xx
£30
Karla Huie-booth
Massive well done to you Millie! An amazing cause to do this for, I’m sure you’ll smash it!
£50
Maz Garside
I am so proud and looking forward to being part of your first part of training climbing Scarfell Pike! Go for it Millie!!!
£50
Diane Hunter
Go Millie I’m so very proud of you and grandma would be too xx
£100
John Hitchcock
On behalf of John Hitchcock’s! Thank you John for your donation and for sharing your story
Good luck Millie, have a great run,