first ever blog!

Ok, i've never done this before and i'm not entirely sure what i'm doing, so bear with me!!

So...  Most of you that read this will know me. But for any who don't, i'm Clair McAdam.I'm 24, studying to be a mental health nurse and live in Edinburgh with my flatmate and my dog. This blog has been set up by myself and my sister Shona (26, does stuff with food and quality control - sorry sis, I don't really remember what! - and lives in Livingston).

The purpose of this blog is to let people follow us on an adventure we're currently undertaking... more about that in a minute, but first let me tell you a little important background information. Shona and I have fantastic parents (true story) who live in a wee village near Dundee. My mum, Helen McAdam, was diagnosed in April 2010 with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Motor Neurone Disease destroys the motor nerves in the body and can cause paralysis, impaired speech, and difficulties with eating and drinking. There is no cure for motor neurone disease. I won't go into lots of detail on here, but you can find out more at http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/ which is the website for MND Scotland, a charity that provides support for people in Scotland who suffer from MND and their families. So anyhoo, Mammy McAdam has MND and my dad, Bill (or Wull) has given up work to hang out with her full time and lend a hand when needs be.

Last year Shona and I decided to run the Great Glasgow 10km to raise money for MND Scotland, which we did. This year we've taken on a somewhat bigger challenge. in fact, a MUCH bigger challenge. In September 2012 we will be taking part in MND Scotland's Machu Picchu challenge. This means we are going to Peru to follow the Inca Trail for 6 days. As far as i'm aware, not only is this lots of miles, but it's also very high. However, on the bright side, llamas live there, and i like llamas! :)

However, in order to be allowed to go play with the llamas (and walk for miles) we have to raise a total of £7600.in sponsorship. That's where this blog comes in. We're planning a bunch of fundraising activities and challenges over the course of the next year or so in order to raise the money. This blog will (in theory, if i can get to grips with it) provide a place where our friends and family can follow our progress - seeing what we're planning next and how we're getting on with both our training and fundraising. It's also a place where people can give us fundraising suggestions (Please!) and any advice will also be most welcome!! :D Our justgiving page is available on the following link - http://www.justgiving.com/Clair-and-Shona-McAdam

So we hope you'll follow our adventures through our bletherings on here, and in turn, help us to raise awareness and support for MND Scotland, a charity that is not only helping our family, but also many other families throughout Scotland who have been affected by MND.