A Broughty Ferry schoolgirl has been spurred on to raise money for research into Parkinson’s Disease after watching her grandmother struggle with the debilitating condition.
Grove Academy pupil Hannah Taylor (13) enlisted the help of two of her schoolfriends, Jennifer McDicken and Laura Sinclair, and they have now raised more than £325 for the charity.
Hannah admits she knew nothing about Parkinson’s until her grandmother Maureen Millar (73) was diagnosed more than three years ago.
Maureen was a health visitor, midwife and nurse for 43 years and had always led a very active life. Though she has not developed the tremor characteristic of the disease, the muscle seizures she suffers affect almost every area of her life though her illness has done nothing to diminish her spirit and sense of fun.
“I have seen how much my grandmother has been struggling just getting up is a problem for her,” Hannah said. “I thought if they could find a cure for it that would be amazing but obviously they would need money for research.”
She and Jennifer completed a sponsored three-mile run to raise funds and all three girls then organised a table sale in a local church.
“We wanted to raise as much money as we could,” Hannah said.
She also hopes that the girls’ efforts will help increase awareness of Parkinson’s and highlight the importance of raising funds for research.