A Burnham-On-Sea teaching assistant is set to pull on her running shoes to raise money for a charity very dear to her heart.
Sam Stockham, who works at Brent Knoll School, is running the Bath Half Marathon on March 7th to raise money for the MPS Society, Mucopolysacchride Diseases.
“My godson has Hunter’s disease, which is a rare genetic condition that currently has no cure, only treatment for symptoms that arise,” she explained to Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“MPS and other related diseases affect 1 in 25,000 live births in the UK. One baby born every eight days in the UK is diagnosed with an MPS or related disease.”
“The multi-organ storage diseases cause progressive physical disability and in many cases, severe degenerative mental deteoration and can result in childhood death.”
Samantha has only been running since last February and completed her first event, the Burnham-On-Sea Half Marathon, last October and finished in two hours and ten minutes.
“The Bath Half marathon will be my first big race and I am currently training three times a week. Over the last three years, I have completed four Race for Lifes and entered the Midnight Beach Walk to help Weston Hospicecare – all very good charities in their own right.”
The MPS Society is the only national charity specialising in MPS and related diseases. The society represents and supports over 1,200 affected children and adults, their families, carers and professionals. They are also trying to bring about more public awareness of MPS and research into these rare diseases.
Anyone who would like to sponsor Samantha can visit her Just Giving page here.
