Berkhamsted man needs assistance to complete fundraising challenge

A man from Berkhamsted is looking for a local business that could provide a suitable location for his challenging sponsored walk in September.
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Patrick Burke, 66, can only walk with great difficulty, as he suffers with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Despite this, he plans to carry out a sponsored walk, in a bid to raise £10,000 for the Chilterns MS Centre.

MS affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. In Patrick’s case, it stops messages from the brain from reaching his left leg and foot muscles.

Patrick in his gardenPatrick in his garden
Patrick in his garden

To overcome this, he uses a clever electrical device to stimulate his muscles so he can lift his leg off the ground and take small steps. He also uses a four-wheeled walker, which he has to hold on to with both hands to keep his balance.

Patrick is looking for a location with a flat, asphalt surface such as a car park or other hardstanding where he can carry out his hour-long walk.

Ideally, he would like to walk about 50m in a straight line, turn around and walk back, as often as he can in the space of an hour.

Patrick said: “The walk will be a huge challenge for me in so many ways. My limit at present is 45 minutes.

“The length of time that I can walk is limited by muscular fatigue and poor balance.

“Walking for an hour will knock me out physically for a couple of days.”

He added: “For me It feels like I’m walking in water.

“It is very tiring, and my walking is excruciatingly slow.

“If I tried walking with walking sticks or crutches, I would fall over.”

Patrick was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in 1995, although his symptoms started in 1972. In 2000, the disease morphed into secondary progressive MS and he took medical retirement in 2012.

He is a regular visitor to the Chilterns MS Centre for physiotherapy, group exercise and one-to-one help to manage the disease.

Patrick added: “I want to prove to myself that I can walk for an hour. And another big motivation is seeing how much money I can raise for the charity, which is an oasis for people with MS in this area.”

The centre’s fundraising manager, Lauren Parker, said: “As a small charity we are so lucky to have the incredible support of our members and supporters, especially during this pandemic.

“With all of our traditional events and collections cancelled, we are still in need of raising funds to help us keep going through to our 35th birthday in September and beyond.”

If you can offer Patrick a location for his sponsored walk, email [email protected].

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