Mum and daughter prepare for Icelandic trek in bid to find cure for Parkinson's

A mother and daughter team are preparing to leave Harrogate for a five day trek across Iceland, in a bid to find a cure for Parkinson's.
Mum and daughter duo: Kathryn and Deborah Wilson.Mum and daughter duo: Kathryn and Deborah Wilson.
Mum and daughter duo: Kathryn and Deborah Wilson.

Kathryn and Deborah Wilson will leave behind their farm near Beckwithshaw for Reykjavik, on August 29, in a bid to raise at least £3,200 for Parkinson's UK.

But the mammoth fundraiser will not be the first Kathryn has completed for the charity, as the family has been on a mission to find a cure for the disease since husband and dad, David, was diagnosed with Parkinson's nearly a decade ago.

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Kathryn said: "He was coming up 52 when he was diagnosed and it came as a bit of a shock. But we have been lucky because we have had really good treatment."

Kathryn explained that David, now 60, has undergone surgery to hold the tremors at bay, adding that they had previously been his most 'dominant' symptom of Parkinson's.

Two years ago, Kathryn climbed Mont Blanc for David, with their son and his wife. But now David's daughter Deborah will join her mum on the next mission.

Kathryn said: "We decided just after Christmas that we were going to do it. Iceland was always on the list, I always wanted to go and thought we could tie it in with raising some money.

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She added: "The money raised goes towards finding a cure which is why we are so desperate to raise it. We know that Parkinson's doesn't go away and we also know that as time goes on the symptoms do get worse."

The trip will see Kathryn and Deborah join a group of people taking on eight or nine hours of walking a day, and who are all raising money for their own causes.

As part of the trip, the girls are required to raise at least £3,200 for their chosen charity, but will cover all the travel expenses out of their own pocket.

At the moment, the Wilson's fundraising figure stands at about £3,000 and the pair are desperate for another boost.

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But Kathryn explains their mission to find a cure for Parkinson's isn't just about her husband.

She said: "My father also had Parkinson's so there is always that thought in the back of my mind that it could affect future generations of our family.

"It's definitely close to our hearts. As a family we do as much as we can by raising as much money as we can while we are all fit and active.

She added: "David is very proud of everybody for doing all this and he's also very grateful for the support he's had.

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"Probably even more than us, he's the one that really wants Parkinson's UK to find a cure, not necessarily in his lifetime but certainly for future generations."

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