WE WON'T STOP UNTIL WE REACH £1 MILLION

When her husband was given a devastating diagnosis, Yvonne Booth, 47, dedicated herself to fundraising for research into a cure

- FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK

Growing up in the Lake District, I’ve always loved the outdoors. I’d spend hours climbing to the top of one of many local peaks, and my husband Duncan was the same. We’d gone to school together and our families had known each other for years. My dad taught Duncan how to climb, and Duncan would often go exploring with my older brother Paul.

It was only after moving back home from university that we realised our relationship ran deeper. With a shared love of the great outdoors, we were kindred spirits. Duncan adored rock climbing, and I worked for a travel company. Together, we trekked all over Europe, Pakistan and the Himalayas.

We married in 1999, when I was 26 and Duncan was 28, and we looked forward to many adventure-filled years.

But soon after the wedding, Duncan started to experience a tingling sensation in his fingers. Because he used his hands regularly to scale rock faces, he noticed the change straightaway. ‘Something’s not right,’ he told me.

Our GP referred him to a neurologist, but the symptoms quickly abated and test results couldn’t pinpoint the cause, so he was discharged without too much worry.

Years passed, and Duncan and I both became primary-school teachers. We kept up our active lifestyle and, after having our three boys, we looked forward to them enjoying the childhood we’d both had.

SHOCKING TEST RESULTS