Connor Whitelaw will honor his aunt who died of MND by trekking the West Highland Way, raising money for MND Scotland.
Connor is 23 and from Kirkintilloch. He will trek for his aunt Gwen, who was vibrant and loved. Her laughter brought joy. He wants to support MND Scotland, which helps families facing motor neuron disease.
MND is a brutal illness. Connor saw his aunt struggle as it robs a person’s essence. No one should face such a disease. His aunt was very brave, and he wants to support those with MND.
Gwen grew up in Castlemilk, and close friends called her Gwendolyn. She worked handling emergency calls and met Stuart Ferguson then. They had four kids: Fiona, Katrina, Callum, and Glenn. Also, they had two grandkids, Aaron and Logan.
The couple moved to Thurso and owned a bar in Caithness. Connor remembers his aunt fondly. Gwen’s laugh was infectious. She did funny impressions, including Les Dawson and Dawn French.
She loved reggae and rock. She learned Arabic in the 70s. Connor has good memories of her; she always smiled and laughed. She hugged him when he visited and always had apple juice.
His aunt grounded him once when he was late arriving back home. He learned to respect her rules. Gwen’s sister noticed speech changes and told Gwen to see a doctor. After tests, Gwen got bad news: she had MND.
Connor visited Gwen after her diagnosis, when she saw her 96-year-old dad. It was their last visit together. Connor noticed her slurred speech and that she choked a lot. He saw how serious her condition was then.
Pauline visited her sister often, and Gwen’s health got worse after each visit. Connor and Pauline planned to visit Gwen and stopped in Portmahomack, where they stayed overnight. The next day brought sad news: Gwen died before their visit.
MND is brutal and swift; it quickly takes loved ones away. Connor will walk the West Highland Way, which is 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. The walk has varied terrain and takes six to eight days. He is raising money for MND Scotland.
He wants to raise MND awareness, help cure the illness, and support those it affects. MND affects many in Scotland, robbing people of abilities. People can’t walk or talk, and swallowing and breathing become hard. Life expectancy is about 18 months.
Connor starts on April 15. Three friends will join him: Jude Welsh, Jack Johnston, and Wojciech Rduch. All money raised goes to MND Scotland, supporting families with MND. He walks for those who faced MND, and also for their families. “She will be with me,” Connor said.