“It’s just such a terribly cruel disease and especially because he was so active”
A Belfast mum is gearing up for a mammoth challenge next week in memory of her beloved dad.
Claire Williamson is raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of her father Michael Pettigrew. Claire, 42 and from Belfast, lost her dad on June 12 2022 aged just 61 after a 15 month battle with MND (Motor Neurone Disease).
She told Belfast Live: “He was diagnosed with MND around a year before he died and he had the worst form of it called progressive bulbar palsy (PBP), which really goes for your organs and throat so he was very kind of mobile up until the last few weeks.
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“He unsteady on his feet but was never in a wheelchair. It affected his speech massively from the very start. He had it a long time and knew that he had it before we found out he was ill. He had been to see a GP but it’s very hard for doctors to diagnose it and was told there’s nothing to worry about. He’d started noticing his arm muscle’s twitching.
“Obviously it was getting worse, but he never told anybody and courageously battled on, going to work all through lockdown. I suppose that was maybe his way of keeping some sort of normality but then he came out of work when he basically couldn’t hide his symptoms anymore which also included not being unable to swallow properly.”
Michael was officially diagnosed days before Christmas 2020 and told he only had a few months to live.
Claire added: “It’s just such a terribly cruel disease and especially because he was so active and loved fishing and Irish rugby. He was the life and soul of the party and had the most infectious laugh you’ve ever heard in your life. He’d tell us stories and you actually didn’t even hear what he was saying because he was laughing that much.
“There was a lot of feeling how unfair it was because he and my mum never got to enjoy the retirement they planned out and do all the things that they wanted to do like going on holiday and spending time with grandchildren.”
After Michael’s death, Claire suffered terribly with panic attacks and anxiety. Then she joined her local gym – Wellfit NI and in the last four months has run her first 10k and 8 mile races and completed two Hyrox events in Birmingham and Dublin.
“Dad died in the June and a month later I joined the gym. I had a panic attack the day before I joined Wellfit gym at Carryduff and I haven’t had one since. Susan Smith, who runs the gym literally saved my life, in loads of ways, because when I joined, I was so unfit,” Claire added.
“When I found out Dad was sick, I started smoking again and there was no thought about food or nutrition. I’ve always struggled with my weight but I really piled it on and was probably the most unhealthy I’d ever been.
“I went along to the gym and absolutely loved the strength training but also the community that Susan has purposely obviously built is just amazing. I have girls in that gym who are my absolute best friends now.”
Last year, Claire tore her meniscus in her knee and thought running would never be an option – but she’s signed up to next year’s Belfast Half Marathon.
Now she’s gearing up for her own 7 in 7 challenge to help fund vital research, care and support for other families affected by MND by supporting the Motor Neurone Disease Association. And she’s launched her own Instagram page to document her inspiring journey.
She explained: “I am running the 7km every day for 7 days for the 7 In 7 challenge, and would love for everyone to join me on the last run at The Belfast Boat Club car park (beside Cutters Wharf) at 8am on Sunday, 7 December. You can run, bike or walk, and you don’t have to do 7km, just donate £7 as a minimum.
“The MND Association focus on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. By sponsoring me your money will help people affected by Motor Neurone Disease.”
You can support Claire’s fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease Association here.
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