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Taking on the ‘Mighty Stride’ Aberdeen Kiltwalk in memory of dad

On Sunday 2 June, Jenny Junnier is taking on the ultimate Aberdeen Kiltwalk challenge – walking 17.8 miles from Duthie Park to Bellfield Park, Banchory. Taking part as a member of the Johnston Carmichael team, who have been Gold Sponsors of the Kiltwalk for eight years, Jenny is walking for Muscular Dystrophy UK in memory of her dad, Bill Gamlin, who lived with muscular dystrophy. Motivated by the desire to increase awareness of muscle wasting conditions and fundraise for research and support, Jenny says that her dad is the inspiration behind her challenge.

A women sitting in a chair in her living room

Dad was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in his mid-teens, but it wasn’t until he was much older, and due to developments in research, that he discovered it wasn’t SMA but another muscle wasting condition.

Dad accepted his initial diagnosis and lived life to the full without any help or support for several years. But an accident in his twenties left him in a wheelchair permanently and he was never able to stand or walk after that. This all happened before I was born, so growing up I didn’t fully understand the muscle wasting element of his condition. I knew that his life expectancy was going to be limited, but I didn’t know much about muscular dystrophy.

As a family, we learnt more about dad’s condition when my sister was planning to start a family. It was then that we discovered he didn’t have SMA, but another type of genetic muscle wasting condition. That was quite a shock for dad as since he was first diagnosed in his teens, part of his identity was connected to SMA, and he felt part of that community.

After various tests and assessments, he and my mum were able to get the support they needed to ensure the best quality of life as he got older. This is where Muscular Dystrophy UK as a charity is invaluable as not only do they fund groundbreaking research into different muscle wasting and weakening conditions, but they help families like ours to get the support they need, whether that’s financial, physical or emotional.

By taking part in the Aberdeen Kiltwalk, I hope that people will become more aware of muscular dystrophy and how it can affect children and adults. Dad’s condition was relatively mild – he lost strength in his arms from his early fifties and only started to really struggle with health issues from the age of 60. He died unexpectedly in 2008, aged 63, but this was not directly related to his condition. For others, the muscle weakening can be more progressive in a shorter period of time, impacting not only the ability to move and perform daily activities, but also the muscles that help your heart and lungs to function.

There are so many different types of muscle wasting conditions, which is why the work of Muscular Dystrophy UK is so important, so that we can learn more, develop effective treatments and ensure individuals and families get the help and support they need.

If you’ve been inspired by Jenny’s story, you can find out about upcoming events and challenges here.

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