Man starts 28-day challenge for Worle family
Daniel Stewart with his family, Stuart, Harry, Bella and Hannah Dickson, and Chloe Baines representing the Club and Spa at Cadbury. Picture: MARK ATHERTON - Credit: Archant
A Worle family hopes to raise awareness of a ‘hideous disease’ as they ‘continue to hope for a cure’.
Stuart Dickson, aged 35, was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in January last year, almost 10 years since losing his father to the same illness.
The family is hoping to shine a light on the impact the disease can have on the individual and have had the support of Stuart’s sister’s boyfriend, Daniel Stewart, also aged 35.
The Clevedon man will embark on the Endure 2 Cure challenge to raise awareness of the disease tomorrow (Friday).
He will complete the 28-day challenge next month at Congresbury’s theclub and will look to complete 5,000m rowing, run five miles and swim the equivalent of a mile each day.
Daniel said: “My hopes are to raise more awareness of the disease, known as the devil’s disease.
“I have closely seen the impact it has had on the whole family, and I have seen their courage and continued hope that one day we will have a cure.
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“I feel more awareness needs to be made of this hideous disease.”
Huntington’s is a ‘devastating’ brain condition which is inherited and affects at least 6,700 people in England and Wales. It is caused by a faulty gene in your DNA and it can affect the nervous system.
Daniel said: “As important as it is to raise much-needed funds, my efforts are not solely about this. I think we need to raise awareness of what Huntington’s disease is and how it affects families before asking for funds.
“Once people know on a personal level how it affects people, they will have a better understanding of how they can help.”
The Huntington’s Disease Association offers support and two visits a year however Hannah Dickson, Stuart’s wife, has launched her own group which meets once a month and fundraises for the charity and offers a place for those affected by the disease to meet and talk.
Find out more about the group by searching Weston and Somerset Huntington’s Support Group on Facebook.
The next support group meeting will be held at Weston Cricket Club, in Devonshire Road, tonight (Thursday) at 7.15pm.
