RENFREWSHIRE Provost Lorraine Cameron lost her mum to motor neurone disease seven years ago – and has been fighting hard to raise awareness about the condition ever since.

Provost Cameron watched mum Eileen Clark battle the disease for two years.

Loss of speech was one of the problems that Eileen encountered as a result of MND.

And, according to her daughter, it remains an issue that must be highlighted.

Provost Cameron used MND Awareness Day to visit local train stations and encourage passengers to make a donation to MND Scotland.

“Lots of people were asking me questions about MND and they all said they either knew somebody with it or knew somebody who knew someone else with it,” she said.

“Raising money for research is so important but raising awareness is equally important because so many people don’t know about MND. One of the biggest things people find hard to deal with is the loss of speech. People think that, because of that, their minds are gone but that’s not the case. They still want to listen to you and still understand.

“What we also need to remember is that there is no light at the end of the tunnel for most people with MND.

“Stephen Hawking lived with the condition for a long time but he is the exception to the rule and people forget that.

“Thursday was a brilliant day and I will be continuing to raise funds and awareness for MND Scotland throughout the year.

“My thanks go to our friends at ScotRail, who were very accommodating in helping to raise awareness.”

In August, Provost Cameron will host the Highland Fling Swing in Pitlochry for MND Scotland and there is still time to sign up. To find out more, send an email to civicevent@renfrewshire.gov.uk.