Donations top £28,000 as Ribble Valley man launches campaign to raise awareness of his wife's incurable brain disorder

Andrew Coney is also preparing to take on a 100 mile walk in six days, starting and finishing in his hometown of Whalley.

The @WalkforLindsay campaign was started by Andrew to raise awareness of PSP, Progressive Nuclear Palsy and to support the PSPA – the only UK charity working with sufferers of this rare degenerative brain disorder that is incurable and untreatable – a disease his wife Lindsay, was diagnosed with at the age of 60.

Family, friends and sponsors have thrown their support behind Andrew, of Brockhall Village, and he is expecting around 100 people to join him on the Two Roses Way walk from June 4th to the 9th, starting and finishing in Whalley in and taking a route that goes from Whalley to Gisburn, Skipton, Malham, Slaidburn, Chipping and then returning to Whalley.

Lindsay will join the walk in her wheelchair for the last two miles on the last day as the walkers head back into Whalley from Old Langho.

Married for 35 years and with three sons, Stephen, Matthew and Robert, Lindsay was diagnosed with the incurable disease in November, 2021.

Originally are from Accrington, Lindsay has an identical twin sister Karen Westwell, and her career before she had to stop was spent mainly working in local government admin in various roles for both Blackburn and Hyndburn Councils.

Andrew said: “Lindsay is a mother to our wonderful sons as well as being a daughter, nanna, sister and aunt. Although she was diagnosed with PSP in 2021 we realised that she had living with the condition for a good number of years prior to that diagnosis, which is not uncommon for

this rare disorder.

“ Lindsay now demonstrates all the main symptoms of the disease and like so many other people living with this degenerative disorder now requires care and support in all that she does.

"As a family we always look for a positive in everything we do in our lives and have been thinking of ways to help Lindsay’s situation. The first and most important priority is to make sure that Lindsay’s life is as comfortable and fulfilled as we are able to for as long as we can, but secondly, we wanted to find a way to raise awareness of this ghastly rare disease and to help raise funds for the PSPA which is the only UK charity dedicated to creating a better future for everybody affected by PSP and the similar disease CBD.

"In their work, they try to provide information to support and enable families living with the diseases to improve the quality of life for people

living with the condition and via research and awareness raising and by putting the voice of the PSP and CBD community at the heart of what they do.”

To make a donation to @WalkforLindsay please click HERE.