Meet Graham, gearing up for this year's Run Leicester, as shared by Nurse Amy Brown, his dedicated partner in this extraordinary journey.
"I've been a nurse for about 14 years. However, my journey at LOROS Hospice began in 2020 during the lockdown”, said Amy. “I initially started in Day Therapy, and it's been three years now. I must say, I love it here; it's entirely different from what I’ve been used to."
“I got to know Graham through the sessions he's had at Day Therapy, and I've helped him out with quite a few issues, and through that we've developed a good relationship. Graham has Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and I found out he used to run marathons before he had MND. He said he's done Run Leicester and asked, 'Would you mind pushing me round so I can have the sense of doing what I used to do and would feel like I’ve achieved something?' I told him I would be honoured to. I then asked my partner as well because it would be a struggle on my own, and as it's my first 10K also”.
"Graham’s Motor Neurone Disease progressively affects all his abilities. Currently, he can't walk, relying on a wheelchair, and he has limited arm function. Initially he used a motorized rear assist chair for independence. However, for Run Leicester, he opted for a manual chair with a high back and we're heading to the park next week for some training with Graham."
“I’ve done a Wolf Run before when I lost somebody, and it creates a real adrenaline buzz, running for somebody else. When I'm running, I'm just thinking about him, so I'm doing better than I've ever done because he’s on my mind. Every mile I'm doing, I'm thinking about him because he's not able to run it himself. I'm still lucky enough to have the use of my legs/arms and I'm in good health, so why not? After training, I have felt a bit sick, to be honest, because I haven’t done this type of running before, but I have a lot of support around me."
"When asked, 'What would you say to anyone thinking of taking part?' Graham answered, 'Just do it!! You will get a lot of benefit from it, a lot of enjoyment from it. I remember 10 years ago when I completed it, I remember all the support as I was running was fantastic, really helps to motivate you. The atmosphere is great especially when running up the golden mile. Best feeling ever.'"
"Graham found inspiration in Rob Burrow, the rugby player who is living with MND, and his best friend Kevin Sinfield, who ran marathons for him. He hopes to motivate others with MND to stay positive, raise MND awareness, and secure funding for a cure. Graham deeply appreciates LOROS's support and the invaluable role of the LOROS MND team...he can’t thank them enough."
“Besides everything, it's something for him to look forward to; it’s a focus and something he will enjoy. He's been messaging me like, ‘I can't wait.’ All his friends have donated, and close friends are coming to watch, and I think it's nice for him to have attention for something positive."
"I'm proud to support him on this incredible journey."
You can find Amy and Graham’s JustGiving page at /fundraising/amy-brown121
