A LICHFIELD couple have taken part in a fundraising walk to raise awareness of a brain condition.
Michaela and Paul Flynn stepped out in the Winter Walk in London in aid of of the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association.
The condition, which has no treatment or cure, is caused by the loss of nerve cells in certain parts of the brain which can cause issues with balance, speech, vision, swallowing and mobility.
The couple took part in the fundraiser following the death of Michaela’s dad, John Reilly, who was diagnosed in 2021.
She said:
“My mum noticed some of the initial changes in dad around 2018 when he started to stumble when walking, often falling backwards, and experienced issues with his eyes.
“Dad’s GP suspected he had Parkinson’s so prescribed medication to help slow the progression. This didn’t help at all – in fact mum felt it made things worse.
“Mum was adamant the diagnosis didn’t really fit. She did a lot of research herself and came across Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PS) and felt dad’s symptoms ticked all the red flags for the condition.
“It took a bit of persuading, but eventually the GP agreed and referred dad to a specialist. Following an MRI scan, PSP was confirmed during the lockdown.
“On top of the initial misdiagnosis, the three-year delay in his diagnosis made it difficult for dad to receive the care and support he needed. It is because of this we decided to take on the Winter Walk challenge.
“We wanted to raise funds, so more people are aware of the condition and to help research develop a better understanding of how and why it develops.
“Sadly, since we signed up to the walk, dad died on 17th December so he wasn’t there to cheer us on with the rest of the family.
“However, we’re proud of the amount we have raised and hope sharing our experiences helps improve awareness and other families’ diagnosis journey.”
So far the couple have raised more than £1,500 by taking part in the event. People can still donate via their JustGiving page.
