A MUM dedicated to Tourette's awareness will run the London marathon for her son and others with the condition, as a new trial shows a significant reduction in symptoms.
Emma McNally, from Sutton, started an online petition in 2021 after her son was diagnosed with Tourette's, aged 9, and was left without any local support once an Alder Hey specialist retired.
The aim was to raise awareness of Tourette's, which causes involuntary sounds and movements called tics, while also demanding an increase in funding to ensure sufferers always have access to local support and treatment.
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Although she was unsuccessful with her petition attempt, the mum managed to receive more than 70,000 signatures, appear on BBC News, and encourage her MP, Conor McGinn, to raise the issue in Parliament.
Her dedicated hard work led to her appointment as CEO of national charity Tourette's Action, and Emma has now set her sights on the London marathon to raise funds and further awareness of the condition.
Emma said: "Last year I watched the London Marathon and saw people from the Tourette's community taking part. The whole thing brought out huge emotions in me – seeing people push themselves to the limit whilst raising funds for our charity and hearing why they were doing it was truly wonderful.
"They inspired me to apply for a ballot place [and after getting through] I’ve had five months to go from couch to 42k!
"The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was an absolutely crazy idea but at the same time also a truly wonderful idea.
"How amazing would it be if I could run the London Marathon and at the same time support my passion - bringing awareness to Tourette Syndrome, whilst also raising money for the most wonderful charity."
Following Emma's decision to take on the 26-mile capital challenge, results from the University of Nottingham's research have shown "life changing" results for those who suffer from Tourette's.
With 121 people taking part in the trial, almost 60% saw a reduction in the frequency and severity of their tics after wearing a wrist device for just 10 minutes a day for a month.
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Speaking on BBC Breakfast about the trial, Emma said: "From my point of view, the good thing about the device is that you can use it as and when you need it.
"When your tics are really bad, you can put on the watch and this can help you control your tics."
As singer Lewis Capaldi announced that he had been diagnosed with Tourette's last year, Emma added that this is a "massive thing" to normalise the condition and break down the stigma.
To support Emma's marathon efforts, you can donate to Tourette's Action here.
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