Latest news with #MNDAssociation
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Former cabbie swaps one-bed council flat for £4,000,000 beach home after raffle
A retired cab driver who won a £4 million beach pad said he used to drop people off at fancy houses and can't believe he now has his own. James Moughton, 71, scooped the incredible West Sussex property, plus £250,000 in cash, in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw. The four-bedroom home boasts three reception rooms, panoramic sea views, a guest house, direct beach access, a boat house, multiple terraces, an outdoor kitchen and BBQ area and a wood surround Skargards hot tub. James, who lives in a one-bedroom council flat in Hull, bought a £25 ticket in the hope of winning a house that would change his family's lives, but never thought it would become a reality. The ecstatic grandad said: 'I've got a daughter, a son and grandchildren— they're all over the moon for me. I can't wait to have all the family come and stay – everyday will feel like a holiday here. 'I'm from a council estate, but now I own a coastal paradise. I can't believe I'm going from a one-bedroom flat to a £4 million mansion! 'Things like this just don't happen to people where I come from. The last thing I won was a soft toy at the Hull Fair!' James revealed said he'd been having an uneventful and boring week before Omaze turned up at his home. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I think the highlight had been nipping to the shops and avoiding getting sunburnt! 'Then all of a sudden I get a knock at the door and someone tells me I've won a prize—initially I thought it must be a wind-up! 'I was gobsmacked, I could've fallen through the floor! I went to see my daughter afterwards to crack open a bottle of fizz to celebrate!' He described the house as 'absolutely stunning', adding: 'The sea views are something else—it's literally right on the beach. 'I've even got a hot tub looking out across the sea—my grandson's going to love that. Now I've got the beach as my back garden, I think it's time I learnt to swim. My son said he's going to teach me, but I'll just dip my toes in for the time being'. In regards to its epic size, he joked, 'The dog shower in the garage is bigger than my current bathroom!' James, who spent 20 years driving a cab in Hull, added. 'When I was a cabbie, I used to drop people off at fancy homes—now I've got one of my own!' The house lies a short walk away from East Preston and Rustington, with its range of shops, cafes and wine bars. Angmering station, a little over a mile from the property, offers direct trains to London Victoria in around 90 minutes. As well as making James a millionaire, the Sussex house draw raised £4.1 million for the MND Association. Motor neurone disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressing neurological disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, which in turn impacts how people walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. The MND Association focuses on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by the condition. The cause is close to James's family's heart. Daughter, Katie, spent time working directly with people with MND and says she has seen at first hand the 'devastating' impact of the disease. James said: 'I'm thrilled Omaze has raised such a massive amount for the MND Association. 'I followed (late rugby player) Rob Burrow's story—what he went through was heartbreaking. It's wonderful that the money raised from this Draw will help others like him.' More Trending Tanya Curry, Chief Executive at the MND Association said: 'It's hard to put into words just how much the incredible amount raised means to all of us—it represents a real beacon of hope for the whole MND community. 'Since our partnership with Omaze began in May more than 300 people will have been told they have MND and at the same time they will have been told there is no treatment, there is no cure. 'The money raised will help us change that. Your generosity will help us rewrite what it means to be diagnosed with MND and start a revolution in MND research. 'Through the development of our Research Nurse Network many more people with MND will be empowered to access cutting edge clinical trials, paving the way for the breakthrough we are all so impatient to see.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Where has the water gone?' Hosepipe ban comes into force for millions MORE: Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban may be in place until winter after incredibly dry spring MORE: Man stabbed through armour during historic re-enactment gone wrong
Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Revolutionary MND drug should be given to all who need it
I know all too well the devastating impact of motor neurone disease (MND), a fatal disease that kills a third of people within a year of diagnosis, and more than half within two years. My son Rob inspired the nation through the courage he showed in sharing his story of having MND. In doing so, he helped to raise millions of pounds for research to help us towards a cure. Sadly, an effective treatment for this horrific disease didn't come in time for Rob. And a year on from his death, the same is still true for the vast majority of people with MND. But for the one in every 50 whose disease is caused by a particular genetic change, there is now a treatment that works. It's called tofersen, and it dramatically slows, even pauses, the progression of MND. It means that people taking it can now dare to dream and hope for many years of life. Tofersen has already been approved in the US and the EU, and in the UK is part of the way through the NHS approval process. While we wait for a decision, the company behind it, Biogen, is giving it for free to people who need it. This is a lifeline. People with MND simply don't have time to wait. The good news is that most people who could benefit from tofersen are now getting it. But shockingly, a small number — the MND Association estimates there are about 12 — have been told that their local NHS won't give it to them, even though the drug is free. The reason? They say they don't have the staff and bed space needed to administer it once a month. The MND Association has asked the government to intervene. But the government says it is down to individual NHS bodies, and so it can't get involved. This means that if you happen to be in an area where the local NHS will give you the drug, you get to live. If you don't, your condition will continue to deteriorate. There's nothing I would not have done to save my son, so for some people to know there's a treatment at long last — a free one — but not to be able to access it is just unbearable to think about. Not only is this tragic, but it's grossly unfair. It goes against the NHS Constitution's commitment to put the needs of patients before organisational boundaries. I was deeply touched by Keir Starmer calling those who carry on the fight for a cure for MND in Rob's memory as 'the best of our country'. He's right. They are. But when I think about the best of our country, I think about compassion and a sense of fairness. I'm asking the prime minister to act today to stop other families going through what I've gone through. He can tell the NHS to give everyone who could benefit from tofersen equal access to it. He should do so. Sign the Motor Neurone Disease Association's petition at
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I thought symptoms were caused by pregnancy - the truth was terrifying'
A mum from London who thought her symptoms were caused by pregnancy tells the Mirror how she was 'absolutely terrified' when she was told she had Motor Neurone Disease Some 1,100 people are diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in the UK every year and at any given time there are around 5,000 adults living with MND in England, Scotland and Wales. But can you imagine being told you have MND when you are pregnant with your second child? That's exactly what happened to Sarah Ezekiel, 59, who was diagnosed with the health condition back in 2000. Before she received the devastating news she didn't think too much of her symptoms as she thought they were pregnancy-related. But what happened next changed everything. 'I was pregnant with my second child and I told my obstetrician, thinking my symptoms were pregnancy related," Sarah says. "I had slurred speech and muscle wasting in my left arm and he referred me to a neurologist. When I received my diagnosis I was shocked and absolutely terrified of disability and death. READ MORE: 'My son, 12, can't have FREE life-changing drug because of where we live - it's a race against time' 'The first thing I asked my neurologist was how would I care for my three-year-old daughter and my unborn son? She assured me that I could, with the help of carers but it was very difficult for me watching strangers doing what I wanted to do but couldn't. 'Now I need help to do almost everything, like eating, toileting, bathing etc because I can't use my arms,' she adds. 'The worst thing about having MND has been losing my speech. "I can't make phone calls and it's very difficult when I have a new carer, because they don't know my routine and can't understand me. "I've also lost the use of my arms but still have some strength in my legs because I exercise regularly so I can take a few steps with help." Although the last 25 years have been difficult for Sarah, she says an MND diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of your world. She believes that with the right support and equipment anything and everything is possible and that people shouldn't give up. 'I was very depressed for years after my diagnosis and my marriage ended, leaving me with full custody of our children. I felt suicidal but was too disabled to do anything about it. I never thought I could be happy again but things turned around for me spectacularly. I actually think that MND empowered me and been the making of me! "Using eye gaze technology I've managed to create art, write my memoir and write, direct and perform in a show called Ms MaNDy's Adventures in Wonderland. I now have my first paid employment in 26 years with the MiND project, am co-chair of the North West London MND Association branch and patron of Lifelites, a charity which donates technology to children's hospices. Even with a terminal illness and severe disability you can achieve many things." Sarah Ezekial is an MND Association Volunteer and is backing the charity's partnership with Omaze, which is giving away a stunning beachside property in West Sussex worth £4 million - along with £250,000 in cash – to raise money for MND Association. Draw entries are available now at - the Draw closes at midnight this Sunday June 29th.
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Guildford man with MND takes on world record attempts for charity
A Surrey man with a rare Motor Neurone Disease (MND) variant is hoping to complete eight charity challenges to raise £88,000 to mark eight years since his June 2017, at the age of 57, Paul Jameson, from Guildford, was given as little as six months to live when he was diagnosed with Bulbar Jameson is hoping to break four Guinness World Records, in aid of the MND Saturday, Global MND Awareness Day, he told BBC Radio Surrey: "There is a cure out there, but it just needs hard cash to find one." Mr Jameson will join world champion dog sled sprint racer Vickie Pullen to try and break four world records in September at the Dunsfold records are yet to be confirmed, but will include the greatest distance for a two-person vehicle pulled by dogs in one minute."Failure is not an option in my book, so it means a great deal that all of the eight for eight challenges and fundraisers are a success," he said he believed he had raised more than £200,000 for charity since his diagnosis."I think about the world record attempt everyday," he added."I will break all four Guinness World Records titles on 7 September, there is no question I won't."
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'We are running the Leeds 10k in memory of loved ones'
When Steve Scott laces up his trainers for the Leeds 10k race on Sunday, he will be running "in the footsteps" of his friend and colleague, Satpal Singh died in March, shortly after his 50th birthday. He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) around a year of Mr Singh's colleagues at Leeds Teaching Hospitals are taking to the course as part of Satpal's Sprinters - the group formed in his memory. "He did the 10k when he was a younger man and a student - his family found a lovely photo of him doing it," Mr Scott told the runners are tackling the Run for All event in aid of the MND Association, the charity that supported Mrs Singh and his wife Rani through his diagnosis."He struggled to come to terms with it, but the MND Association was there to support him," Mr Scott added."We felt like we had to do something for the charity as we knew how much they do for people who are diagnosed, and their families." Mr Singh was given regular updates on the group's training and progress before his death."He could see the fun we were having."With some of his colleagues, he was perhaps wondering how on earth they would make it around a 10k!"Mr Scott said the group has "quite a mix" of running abilities; one person had to drop out due to a broken toe but despite the challenges, the team all have a joint motivation."This is mirroring him, he was such a selfless person, such a warm person and the entire group have bought into that; that's why it has grown so much."So far, Satpal's Sprinters have raised more than £14,000 for the MND Association, more than double their original target of £7,000. What is the Leeds 10k? First launched in 2007, the Leeds 10k is running for the 18th year with thousands expected to take event will kick off at University of Leeds before ending at the Headrow by Leeds Art by Jane Tomlinson's Run for All foundation, it will support a wide range of local and national are encouraged to run for a cause close to their hearts. Jodie Stead and her partner Matt Murphy are also among the runners taking couple are attempting the challenge in memory of Mr Murphy's friend Lee, who took his own life in 2024. Mr Murphy told the BBC that his death came as a shock. "There was nothing, nobody spotted anything. When the phone calls came around, everyone was baffled."As clichéd as it might sound, he was the life of the party."He was just a really intelligent guy, a funny guy without even trying." The couple are raising money for Andy's Man Club, a charity which encourages men to speak up about their mental Stead believes that if Lee had known about the charity it "might have been a different situation"."We know it is somewhere men can go and talk to peers about anything they are going through. It is a safe space." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
