Fundraiser to aid MND Association in memory of Suffolk farmer
15th February 2023
Tom Hitchcock from Ipswich, Suffolk, is taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales over the course of three days to raise money for the Motor Neuron Disease Association in memory of his late father.
Tom’s father, Matthew Hitchcock of Hitchcock Farms.
A farmer of over 40 years, Tom’s father, Matthew Hitchcock of Hitchcock Farms in Elmsett, was forced to retire early due to ill health. In February 2020, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease (MND) and lost his life to the condition six weeks later on 14th March.
To honour his memory and raise awareness of this life-shortening disease, Tom has resolved to take on the climbing challenge along with five friends in aid of charity.
MND is a debilitating condition that often goes undiagnosed and affects the nervous system, causing muscle failure and eventual death. Due to the progressive decay of motor neurons that transmit impulses from the brain, basic functions such as swallowing and breathing will become unachievable without assistance.
Unable to communicate, the sufferer will become trapped in their own body and will be completely dependent on the support of others. While research has improved the understanding of the condition, no cure has been found for MND to date.
As part of his fundraiser, Tom and his companions will be attempting the Three Peaks Challenge as a winter climb on the 24th, 25th and 26th of March. The group will ascend the Scottish peak Ben Nevis (1345m) on the first day, followed by Scafell Pike (978m) on the second day, and conclude the challenge with Snowdon (1085m) in Wales.
“I feel that this is an appropriate challenge as when I was younger, my father used to take us to Wales and we walked up Snowdon, and Devils Cauldron as well as a few other peaks in the Snowdonia national park as a family on holiday,” Tom wrote on his JustGiving page.
In the first month of launching the fundraiser, the campaign has reached 90% of its £2,020 target, which has been set in memory of the year Tom’s father passed away. However, Tom is hoping to at least double that target, and with his father being a lifelong farmer, he now turns to the farming community for support.
To make a donation, visit Tom Hitchcock’s fundraising page on justgiving.com. All proceedings will go to the MND Association which funds care, campaigning and research to achieve a world free from MND.
