A total of 160 guests joined Lymm mum Kerry Spink at her second Ladies Day fundraising event inspired by her twin sons who suffer from a rare form of muscular dystrophy.
Inspired by sons Oscar and Seb, 15, who live with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), Kerry organised the event at event at Cottons Hotel & Spa in Knutsford in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK alongside Mandy Raftery, who lives with the same condition as her sons, and Cara Keig. The Ladies Day, which included a drinks reception, two-course lunch, boutique shopping, auction, raffles, and entertainment, raised £16,500 which will help the charity to fund research and support people living with muscle wasting conditions.
The Ladies Day was hosted by Cheshire’s Mix 56 radio presenter Rachel Aitken and featured a powerful speech by TEDx speaker Zoe Harrison who lives with limb girdle muscular dystrophy and hosts the podcast Dystrophy Diaries. Among the 160 guests were blogger and content creator Alison Stankard (Totes Inappropes).
Kerry Spink with twin sons Oscar and Seb
Explaining why she organised the event in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK, Kerry Spink said: “In some ways, my boys Oscar and Seb are just like many other teenagers their age – football mad and they love gaming and spending time with friends. But they live with a rare progressive condition, Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), which causes their muscles to weaken over time. This impacts every area of their lives, from using electric wheelchairs to get around, to losing the ability to do small things that most people take for granted, like being able to smile or raise their eyebrows.
“We knew something wasn’t right from a young age. The boys experienced hip pain and poor weight gain, as well as having a lack of facial movements. It took 18 months get a definitive diagnosis but at the age of eight, Oscar and Seb were diagnosed with FSHD. It was a huge shock to all of us and that’s when we found Muscular Dystrophy UK, who helped us understand the condition and enabled us to meet other families going through the same thing.
“Organising this event is my way of giving back and ensuring the charity can be there for other families like ours, as well as continuing to fund vital research into new treatments.”
The £16,500 was raised through ticket sales, a raffle, live auction, and donations. “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our guests, helping to raise so much money for Muscular Dystrophy UK,” said Kerry Spink. “This is a cause very close to mine and Mandy’s hearts and we’re so grateful for people’s generosity and support. I’d like to say a special thank you to Zoe Harrison for joining us on the day and sharing her story with everyone in the room.
“The day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our sponsors, so thank you to Blok Projects, Deb Wilson – Not Just Travel, and The Duerr’s Foundation, as well as those who donated auction lots and raffle prizes. This was our second annual Ladies Day, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year!”
Find out more about Muscular Dystrophy UK at www.musculardystrophyuk.org
