‘I CAN’T BELIEVE IT, THIS COULD LITERALLY BE LIFE-CHANGING’
Mum’s joy at £50m bid to find MND cure
A MUM who was one of the first in the world to get pregnant and conceive with motor neurone disease has been left ‘beaming’ after the Government pledged £50million to find a cure.
The cash pledge, which gives hope to people living with the terminal condition, comes after mum-oftwo Joanne Cole joined a campaign calling for Government money to create a research institute.
Joanne, aged 33, had backed the Fund The Fight To Cure MND crusade organised by the Sunday Express, The Sentinel’s sister paper.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would ‘throw the full weight of government’ behind a new, British-led mission to find a cure.
Joanne, from Stafford, said: “I actually can’t believe it. This could literally be life-changing.
“I am extremely happy and my smile is beaming today more than ever.”
She previously told The Sentinel how she defied medical experts by giving birth to son Sebastian three years ago.
It proved sufferers of the disease which affects the brain and spinal column can cope with the physical demands of nine months of pregnancy.
Announcing the funding, the Prime Minister said: “This cruel and debilitating illness kills six people in our country every single day, with a third of those diagnosed tragically losing their lives within just a year.
“We cannot continue like this. So we are going to throw the full weight of government, industry and civil society behind a new British-led scientific mission to transform the fight against this devastating disease.”
The funding is part of a wider package of £375million to invest in innovative research for neurodegenerative diseases over the next five years.
It is hoped this commitment will also improve understanding and treatment of diseases such as Pick’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Together, I am confident we can make life better for the thousands of people living with MND in this country.
“Neurodegenerative conditions like MND can have a devastating impact on people’s lives.
“I’m committed to ensuring the Government does everything we can to fight these diseases and support those affected.”