Dunfermline woman living with MND ready to take on Kiltwalk

Moira Chittenden, (58), from Dunfermline, who is living with motor neuron disease (MND), is taking on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk as a way of supporting the many other people across Scotland whose lives are affected by MND.

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This can cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided and the average life expectancy is just 18 months from diagnosis.

For the last fifteen years of her working life, Moira, better known as Mo, worked as a therapist and found a great deal of satisfaction in helping people to heal emotionally. Sadly, Mo was forced to retire from work in October 2021 due to a continuing decline in both her stamina and speech.

Remembering the first time she felt something was wrong, Mo said: ‘I started having to ask my husband John to take off lids for me in November 2019.  By January it was still getting worse and when John noticed muscle loss in my left (dominant) hand between my thumb and forefinger, he insisted that I needed to see my GP.

‘Interestingly, John had tried to teach me how to ride a bike in 2010 and although I could ride forward and turn right, I could never turn left. I lost my balance every time I tried. I think that was the beginning of my MND as it first manifested on my left side.’

Mo visited her GP in late 2019 and as the issue was having an effect on her dominant hand, was quickly referred to the Neurology department.

Speaking on her diagnosis, Mo said: ‘I saw a Neurologist in February 2020 and he wrote to my GP saying that I either had motor neuron disease or Parkinson’s but that he couldn’t give a definite diagnosis until I had been tested.’

Mo underwent a nerve conduction study in October 2020 and two days later, the Neurologist sadly confirmed that it was MND.

Recalling his reaction to hearing that Mo had been diagnosed with MND, husband John said: ‘Finding out that Mo has MND was absolutely devastating and for quite a while I was living in a state of shock. Trying to get my head around the idea of losing her sooner than expected is something that I still find difficult to comprehend.’  

Describing the challenges of living with MND, Mo said: ‘I have developed muscle stiffness and muscle atrophy which makes things that I once found simple really difficult.

‘The biggest challenge is finding ways to cope. When my left hand became paralysed, I taught myself to write with my right. Now my right hand is going the same way. I’ve had to experiment with different cutlery and ways of holding it so I can still feed myself. You’re constantly problem solving with MND.’

Despite living with MND, Mo is determined to raise as much money as possible to help other people affected by the disease, by taking part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk’s ‘Wee Wander’.

On her motivation behind signing up for the Edinburgh Kiltwalk, she said: ‘The support I have received from MND Scotland has been absolutely brilliant and I want to do what I can to give back to the people that have supported me throughout my MND journey. I honestly don’t think I would have made it this far without them!’

It’s common for the time before an event to be used for training and preparation, but with MND being a rapidly progressing illness, every day that has passed since registering her place at the Kiltwalk, Mo’s challenge has only become even greater.

Speaking on her mindset ahead of the upcoming challenge, Mo said: ‘I felt very positive when I signed up but unfortunately, I’ve deteriorated since then. The MND has now spread to my legs, and they have started to stiffen, and I also have minor muscle atrophy.  So, my frame of mind is now mind over matter and I will succeed!’

Championing Mo’s amazing effort, Chief Executive Officer, Rachel Maitland said: ‘Mo’s spirit and determination are an inspiration to everyone at MND Scotland and we feel extremely lucky to have her walking with us at the Edinburgh Kiltwalk. It’s heartwarming to hear that we have been able to provide her with vital emotional and practical support and thanks to people like Mo, we will be able to continue to provide other people affected by MND with the same level of care in the future. Thank you, Mo, and best of luck on the day.’ 

You can support Mo by making a donation here and for more ways to support MND Scotland, please visit us here.