A child's story

I’m eleven years old and my grandad was diagnosed with Parkinson's a couple of months after I was born. So, I’ve always known him as someone who needs a bit of help, has difficulties moving around and problems with his speech. For me, I don’t know him as any different, and I love him so much as my Grampy that it makes no difference to me that he’s got Parkinson’s.

I try to help him whenever I can, if I see him struggling. I’ll sometimes get a drink for him or get him his tablets. Sometimes I explain to my friends why he can’t move around as well as other people. It’s important people understand what Parkinson’s is and how it affects people.

In 2004, we decided to do a sponsored walk up Mount Snowdon to "make more people understand why people like my Grampy can't always do the same things as everyone else".

I got sponsorship from loads of people who live near me and I even got good luck letters from the Queen and Tony Blair. I was so pleased that I raised so much money – more than £3,000 – for the Parkinson’s Disease Society.