A WOMAN and her cousin from Catrine are taking on the hefty task of cycling 200 miles for a leading charity after their family member was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) earlier this year.

In May, Cody Paton’s mum, Margo, got the news that she had MND, a rapidly progressing terminal illness which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles.

In response, Cody and her cousin, David Farrell, 34, decided to saddle up in a bid to raise £1,000 for the cause and pay homage to “the best mum and gran in the world”.

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Cody, 27, told the Chronicle: “We did it for Dementia UK last year after my gran got dementia but then my mum got diagnosed with MND in May so we thought this time we’ll do it for that. It was a shock for all the family.

“She’s alright. They’re putting more care on for her now because I’ve just had a baby. My brother and sister stay in Catrine and I’m in Muirkirk so they’re there more than me.

“She knows we’re all supporting her. My cousin, Gemma, sorted out for us to sit down to talk as a family about the news. We just want her to know that we love her and she’s a superhero. We’re so lucky to have her as our mum, gran and auntie.”

While Cody spends some quality time with her newborn, David has been raking in the miles, and doing so in some fantastic fancy dress including superman, ragdoll and inflatable T-Rex costumes.

Cody continued: “He even dressed up as a maid one time. I don’t know how the hell he manages wearing the costumes on a bike but he’s determined and enjoys doing it.

“We’re aiming to finish up on December 5. We’ve raised £750 so far on the fundraising page but we’ve also got sponsor sheets. The one David has at his work has £300 on it and my mum’s organised things in the pubs and shops in Muirkirk, too. She’s also doing an online raffle. I think we’ve already surpassed £1,000 all in all.

Cumnock Chronicle:

“David and I are really proud of my mum. My brother, sister and her two grandsons, Taylor and James, and grand-daughter, Dior, and the rest of the family will always be there to support her.”

Iain McWhirter, Head of Fundraising at MND Scotland, said: “I’d like to thank Cody and David for raising awareness and funds by taking on this incredible cycle challenge for MND Scotland.

“As a charity, we provide financial, emotional and practical support to people affected by motor neurone disease across Scotland – and fund pioneering clinical trials to find new treatments. This work is only possible because of people like Cody and David supporting us.

“I wish them all the best for their cycle challenge. We’ll be cheering them on every step of the way.”

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