A nine-year-old boy from Newtown has conquered the tallest mountain in Wales to raise money and awareness to find a cure for a condition that affects his grandad.
Henry Dyche completed the nine-mile hike up to the summit of Snowdon with Joseph Mills, 28, and Daniel Trigg, 22 at at 9.05am on Sunday, May 2, after a 6.10am start.
The group were inspired to raise awareness for Parkinson’s as Henry’s grandad, who is also Joseph's father-in-law, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s six years ago.
The family also have other relatives and friends that are living with the condition, which is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure.
Joseph said: “We hope that by taking on this challenge, we’ve been able to help other people understand the effects that Parkinson’s has on people and to support Parkinson’s UK in finding better treatments and a cure for the condition. Parkinson’s isn’t talked about enough and people should be more aware of how this seriously impacts a person's daily life.
“I did this to support the family around me that live with these daily struggles and have found ways to manage and control their Parkinson’s symptoms. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and we can’t wait to organise our next event!"
Parkinson's affects around 145,000 people in the UK, including 7,600 in Wales. There are over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety.
Parkinson’s UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe, leading the way in driving better care, treatments and quality of life for those with the condition.
Ann Rowe, Head of Regional Fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are so grateful to Joseph, Henry and Daniel, for taking on this challenge for Parkinson’s UK.
“With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives. We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough. Fundraisers like Joseph help us to drive forward the groundbreaking research we need to transform the lives of people affected by the condition.”
The charity is asking people to take part in a Walk for Parkinson’s challenge in Snowdon in July.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel