DON your running shoes, stretch out your calf muscles and get set to Run for Ryan, a community initiative to raise awareness and funds for those with motor neauron disease.
It could happen to anyone. Motor neuron disease (MND/ASL) has no cure and is a slow and steady death sentence to its unfortunate victims.
Riverside Trail will host a five and 10 kilometre fun run on Sunday, 5 February and all proceeds will go to the Ryan Walker Foundation which creates awareness and contributes where possible to the MND/ALS community.
Former Sharks’ rugby player, Ryan Walker, was a 34 -year-old fit and healthy dairy farmer in the midlands when he suddenly became very ill.
He suffered from severe headaches, nausea and a stiff neck. Doctors initially thought his symptoms were the result of a tick or spider bite and treated him with a course of antibiotics.
However, his symptoms persisted and further blood tests and a lumber puncture revealed Ryan had contracted bacterial meningitis.
His recovery was slow and he was very sick for six weeks and eventually began having twitches in his biceps, triceps and eventually legs and back.
“We were told the tremors in my arms would go away once I had fully recovered, but they never did and progressed to my legs and back. I began to get clumsy, lose my balance and found going downstairs challenging. I also began to get wasting and weakness in my right hand. I’d also trip and fall easily,” said Ryan.
He was eventually, after many more tests, diagnosed with motor neuron disease and given two to five years to live because the disease has no cure.
Walker is a fighter and today, five years after his symptoms started in April 2012, is still able to talk, walk, dress himself, drive a car and get through most days as a healthy person.
He believes his disease’s slow progression is due to a combination of a healthy diet and lifestyle, medicines and various ongoing therapies.
The fund-raiser run is at the Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood Park and the entrance fee for the 5km run or walk is R50 each and R100 for the 10km run or walk.
The event starts at 6am for the 10km race and 6.15am for the 5km race.
You can enter online at www.roag.co.za. Online entries close at midnight on Thursday, 2 February. Registration is from 5am to 5.50am on the morning of the race and an additional late entry fee of R20 will be charged. Contact Alison Chadwick at durbantrails@gmail.com.
