Cycling for Gaucher disease

With October almost upon us, many events have been planned around the world to raise awareness as we mark October as Gaucher Awareness Month. Sponsored walks, runs or bike rides have become popular ways of raising funds and awareness over the years for many charities and causes.

I would like to thank Madeleine Abramson on behalf of all Gaucher patients for recently participating in a sponsored bike ride from London to Cambridge to raise funds towards The Gaucher Association in England whilst creating greater awareness of this rare disease. The race consisting of approximately 100 riders, started from The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead (London) and ended at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. A more appropriate start and finish line could not have been found, for both these hospitals have centres of excellence in the study of Gaucher disease.

There was just a little rain about an hour into the ride, but fortunately after a short shower, the weather cleared up and the remainder of the ride was in sunshine. Most of the way there were some serious hills to struggle up and only the last ten miles were relatively flat. The marshals and helpers along the way were cheerful and helpful and the route took the riders through some beautiful English villages and stunning countryside. With stops it took Madeleine 6 ½ hours to complete. A grandmother and her daughter kindly volunteered to bake delicious cakes which were served to the participants when they arrived at the finish line. If you would like to donate, and it's not too late, go to the official "mydonate" site.

(Photo above courtesy of Alex Ingram.)

My article this week in The Huffington Post addresses an issue that can become quite a sore point. If you suffer from Parkinson's, do you know when to stop driving?