As we enter week 13 of lockdown and shielding, I wanted to share how my family and I are getting on and our plans to try to help ourselves and others.
I have a muscle-wasting condition, and I have been petrified by Covid-19 and the threat it brings. My immune system runs at about 20 percent and I feel my body would not be able to fight it. During this time I have been trying my best to exercise, but I’m limited due to space and we’re still waiting for official advice from governing bodies to instruct us when it is safe to go outside again.
I would usually see my private physical trainer, Gregg, in Aylesbury on a one-to-one, but of course this has been impossible, which is a massive shame. Gregg takes care of me physically and psychologically and the two go hand-in-hand, as I always leave exhausted but extremely happy due to the amazing endorphins having a party!
Sadly, over this period, little by little, I have deteriorated physically, which in effect has done similar things to my head. I have been trying my best to stay positive and keep walking, but I’m now only covering a few steps around the house and not any kind of distance at all. The muscle mass and muscle memory are fading away, and it’s strange to think that Covid-19 would have these side-effects on my family and me. I’m finding it difficult to lift my arms, too, and have to help myself by using my left hand to lift my right hand and vice-versa. I’m losing functions daily. Things I used to be able to do on a Tuesday I cannot now do on a Wednesday. It’s that noticeable to me.
Recently I started to think of the things I did before Covid hit and whether I would be able to do them again. Dog walks with family and just some fun in the park or at the beach. I’m a huge family person, too, and I miss the hugs and the emotion of meeting up.
I’m a very lucky man and have lived a great life so far and been so fortunate to have been to places and seen so much with my wife. But I now have concerns for others around me, and I believe that we should be selfless and help where we can. With social media during this time we can see others struggle, too.
I have been inspired by other families and all they are having to deal with at the moment, and I would like to try to help. To make sure there is a future for them, to reassure them that fundraisers are still out there doing their best to help others, just like my team always do. And so I came up with a plan to help myself, the charity and most importantly the young people with the condition I have been inspired by.
I am a very proud volunteer and ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy UK and right now the charity that we volunteer for faces a huge crisis with a funding gap of £2.8 million, due to the current Covid-19 crisis.
On Saturday the Football League starts again, and with help from The Square Ball and the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust, a group of family and friends will cover the distance it takes to get from my home town, Aylesbury, to Elland Road, Leeds, and then back again on Sunday. That is 316 miles!
We will cover this distance between us by walking, running, cycling and maybe even swimming. I will be walking impossible miles in the safety of my back garden with support from my wife and girls.
The objective is to raise vital funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK, to help myself and try to get moving physically, to push myself to the limit, and therefore help my mental health, too.
I would like to conclude with my thanks and gratitude. This has not all been a negative situation. We have clapped for our carers; neighbours we have never spoken to in the past have knocked to ask if we need any shopping or supplies; friends have called round for social distancing coffee; delivery slots have been shared; and so many video calls from family and friends far and wide (Perth, Australia!).
We must now try to take some of this experience with us when we go forward in life. Some of the empathy and compassion is what should become the ‘new normal’: the polite conversation between the courier or the shopping delivery person, waving to the neighbours from our windows, and the calling of concerns for welfare over the garden fence. We should put more emphasis on how easy it is to be selfless because it will cost us nothing at all.
- If you would like to sponsor Hywoods Heroes, click here.
- If you would like to set up your own fundraiser, have a look at our lockdown fundraiser ideas or contact fundraising@musculardystrophyuk.org to discuss any ideas you have further.