Ribble Valley grandmother raises money for hereditary disease (CMT)

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Ribble Valley grandmother raises money for hereditary disease

(photo at website)

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/8117975.Ribble_Valley_grandmother_rais\

es_money_for_hereditary_disease/

By Nazia Parveen

A grandmother has raised £3,000 towards the treatment of a hereditary nerve

disease after it affected three members of her family.

Isabell Holden's husband, son and grandson all suffer from a neuro-muscular

condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) which affects the nerves, often

causing muscle weakness and a lack of sensation in the arms and feet.

The 65-year-old, who lives with her husband , 68, in Knowle Green, chose

to raise money for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, after

she was elected county president of the Lancashire County Ladies' Social Section

for the National Farmer's Union.

Her husband, son, , 34, and six-year-old grandson, , have all been

diagnosed with the disease and often find it painful to carry out daily chores

and walk short distances.

The retired midwife said: " My husband didn't realise he had the condition until

we had our youngest son.

" When we went out on day trips or family holidays when he was a toddler it was

horrendous because he couldn't walk very far as he said it was too painful.

" It was eventually diagnosed and we realised that was suffering from the

same thing. "

The Physiotherapy Department at the Trust, which runs the neuro-muscular physio

service, will be purchasing a plinth and a number of exercise bikes, which will

be used in the treatment of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, more

commonly known as CMT.

" I am pleased that our donation will help the future treatment of neuro-muscular

conditions at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.

" As my husband has got older things have got harder.

" His toes have started to bend and anything he does with his hands and feet is

extremely painful. He struggles sometimes doing his buttons. "

She said was worst affected: " He has always found it painful to walk even

short distances.

" calls it his wobbly legs but he does try and go swimming and play

football but he sometimes can't walk down to the church from his school and then

he has to use a chair.

" I hope the money raised by the branch members of the Lancashire County Ladies'

Social Section and my friends will help others who are suffering from this

disease on a daily basis. "

Jackie Benstead, section physiotherapy manager at the trust, said: " We are very

grateful for all the effort Isabell and her Ladies' Social Section have put into

raising this money. "