TWO Pontypool women are amazed at the community’s response – after their half marathon effort raised more than £1,000.

Charlotte Robinson and Sarah Hartree, both from Varteg in Pontypool, took part in the Bute Park Half Marathon on Sunday, July 4, with the aim to raise some money for the CJD Network.

Ms Robinson had been doing some running during the lockdown period, starting the couch to 5k in September.

Ms Hartree had been running for a while and was joining Ms Robinson on her runs.

“I said to Sarah that we would be doing a half marathon before she got married, and that’s where the idea came from,” said Ms Robinson.

They raised funds for the CJD Network after Ms Robinson’s mum died of the condition two years ago.

“We said we would be happy if we raised £500 but the fact that it’s over £1,000 is amazing,” she said. “We’re in awe at the generosity of the community.”

At the time of writing, the fundraising totalled £1,320. You can still donate here https://www.gofundme.com/f/j2su7n-sarah-and-charlottes-half-marathon-for-cjd?fbclid=IwAR1Qee0egZ6h3Kie3EE7Lqdt_0P9ptgpoAqM1v08yl9OY9h4DUI4O53scA0

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What is CJD and the CJD Network?

CJD is a little-known condition with the full name of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. There are four different types of the disease, and all affect the brain. The CJD Network provides support for sufferers and their families and aims to raise awareness of the condition.

Ms Robinson’s mum was diagnosed with the sporadic version of CJD on May 1, 2019, after she started to become forgetful around February of that year. On June 19 the same year she died. The sporadic version is the most common form and is the type found in 85 per cent of cases according to the CJD Network. The cause is unknown, and it mainly affects the over-50s. It has a rapid onset and the length of time measured for survival is just months.

Genetic CJD is inherited, and it tends to affect younger people, but the course of the disease is longer than the sporadic version.

Iatrogenic CJD comes form contamination with infected tissue through medical procedures.

The fourth is called Variant CJD which is caused by exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, and typically affects younger people. It has a relatively longer time course - an average 14 months from onset of symptoms to death. There is a combination of psychiatric, neurological and physical symptoms and it is also known as Mad Cow’s Disease.

What are the symptoms of CJD?

The symptoms of CJD are varied depending on the version that is being suffered from. However all four forms have the following: memory problems, confusion, clumsiness, unsteadiness and jerky movements with progressive disability leading to loss of awareness, loss mobility, loss of speech, incontinence and the need for full nursing care.

For more in-depth information on CJD, visit https://www.cjdsupport.net/what-is-cjd/types-symptoms-of-cjd