Kennedy’s Disease UK (KD-UK) is a local charity making a big difference. It recently awarded an £80,000 research grant to University College London which hosts one of the leading research centre in Europe hoping to find a cure for Kennedys Disease, a rare and debilitating disorder that attacks the motor neurones in the spine rendering its victims with muscle weakness. What starts with small trips and falls, can eventually lead to wheelchair confinement and full-time care.
As well as presenting the research grant on behalf of KD-UK, Dorset MP Oliver Letwin, went along to meet Professor Linda Greensmith and her team at UCL in order to learn about the disease and witness the vital research they are carrying out.
As Head of Neurology at UCL, Professor Greensmith said “I can’t thank Kennedy’s Disease UK enough. There is currently no cure or treatment for this rare disease, and patients are struggling without the care and support they need. KD-UK’s tireless work to raise funds for UCL’s research into our understanding of this disease and the development of potential treatments, and their efforts to raise awareness of the disease and help others to access critical information, is invaluable. With KD-UK’s help, UCL research is making important progress and we are incredibly grateful for their support.”
KD-UK was set up in March 2015 by Kate Hopps. The disease affects her family so she’s on a mission to inform people about this genetic disorder and educate them of effects it has on sufferers and their families. There is currently no cure, there is no treatment and there is nothing that can be done to help sufferers.
To date, KD-UK have awarded £120K in research grants to the team at UCL, which is only KD centre carrying out research in the UK. The vital fundraising that KD-UK does is only made possible by the dedicated team of volunteers who give up their time to help organise fun events. If you would like to join the team or organise your own event, then please contact kate@kd-uk.com.