On Sunday, 5 October, Jade Anderson, 22, from Sudbury in Suffolk, is running the Bidwells Cambridge 10k in memory of her brother Simon, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and sadly died in 2001 aged 13.
Driven by a desire to increase awareness and raise money for research, Jade is fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy UK, the charity for more than 110,000 adults and children in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions.
Explaining why she decided to enter the event, Jade Anderson said:
“I never met my brother Simon, as he sadly died before I was born, but I will always raise awareness and let his name be heard. I’m doing this for him and my dearest brother James, who lost his big brother and best friend; as well as my amazing parents, Andrew and Susan, who dedicated their lives to caring for their eldest son while he was on this earth, ensuring he lived his life to the full and got to go everywhere he wanted to go. I want to keep Simon’s memory alive and help people to understand more about the condition he lived with.”
Simon lived with the progressive muscle wasting condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which caused the muscles in his body to gradually weaken.
Jade said:
“Simon lived with the condition his whole life, until he unfortunately lost his battle at the age of 13. While I never got to meet him, I know that he was very close to my other brother James, who was only nine when Simon died. They did everything together. And my parents both treasured the time they got with Simon, making the most of every moment. Dad refers to him as his ‘best mate’ and mum puts all her time and energy into making his life the best it could be. They’re all very proud that I’m running for Simon.
“Doing this in his memory is very important to me. My brother and parents tell me about Simon’s optimism and resilience, and that he was always positive despite the challenges he faced. People with shorter lives sometimes get forgotten, but Simon made a huge impact on everyone around him. Even in death, he helped people as he was an organ donor. In a way, it’s comforting to know that he is helping others live life to the full.”
While raising money to help Muscular Dystrophy UK fund vital research into muscle wasting conditions is important to her, Jade is also keen to raise awareness.
Jade said:
“I want people to care and understand how much conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy impact individuals and their families. It’s not spoken about enough and is detrimental to all involved. If me doing this helps just one person learn a bit more about muscular dystrophy, then that’s a good thing. I’m really excited to take part!”
The Bidwells Cambridge 10k offers a closed-road route through the heart of Cambridge. It is now in its 14th year, and there is a sister event in Oxford, which takes place every May. Organised by Muscular Dystrophy UK, the event series started in Oxford in 1982, inspired by a local boy, Daniel Cleaver, who had muscular dystrophy. His father and local runners set up the event as a fun run to raise funds for muscular dystrophy, and still to this day, all profits go to Muscular Dystrophy UK. The events attract thousands of runners each year, raising money to fund groundbreaking research and life-changing support for people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions.
To find out more about the Bidwells Cambridge 10k, visit: www.musculardystrophyuk.org/
Support Jade’s fundraising at: https://sportsgiving.co.uk/
Find out more about Muscular Dystrophy UK at: https://www.
