MS sufferer to run London Marathon in aid of treatment centre

A woman who suffers from multiple sclerosis is to take on the London Marathon just because she can.

Jane Perry, of Cornwall Road, North Harrow, was diagnosed in 1995 with the condition, whichaffects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord and causes problems with muscle movement, balance and vision.

The following year the BBC director started going to the MS Therapy Centre in Harrow for high dose oxygen treatment, which involves breathing oxygen under pressure in a decompression chamber.

She moved to Harrow to be near the centre in 2005, andten years since her diagnosis, the 51-year-old says she plans to run the London Marathon in aid of the glorified scout hut centre, in Watford Road, Harrow, just because I can.

She added: I am more likely to fall over, butI used to fall over a few times a year just walking.

In the past four years I've been running five miles, three times a week, and I have not fallen over once whilewalking.

Running improves balance and I wear knee pads and rugby protection head gear in case I fall which may look silly but works for me.

The HDOT centre in Harrow was set up in the 1980s to provide free treatment to those who have MS, as the treatment is not available on the NHS.

The centre costs around 200,000 per year to run with a third of this coming from donations from usersand their families.

Ms Perry added: I have no doubt of the benefits Ive had from HDOT and I want to make sure that MS patients wanting HDOT treatment arent denied the same chance Ive had.

Originally posted here:
MS sufferer to run London Marathon in aid of treatment centre