In 2018, Katherine Burgess, from Hertford, lost her dad, Neil, to Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
MND is a life-limiting disease that affects the neurones, which carry messages from the brain to your muscles. This leads to muscle weakness, stiffness and waste. MND affects everyone differently but most commonly affects how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe and some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour.
Katherine, 23, said “Just after he was diagnosed, we all found support from Isabel Hospice. Many people don’t know that Isabel Hospice cares for people with MND, and believe they just support those with cancer. I myself had never heard of MND or Isabel Hospice before my Dad was diagnosed.”
Last year (2019-2020), 46% of Isabel Hospice patients had a non-cancer diagnosis. Neil attended the Hospice’s weekly neuro group and he and his whole family really felt they benefitted from the care they all received. Amanda, Katherine’s mum, said “The Neuro Group was a club no one wanted to be in, but once you were, you didn’t want to leave.”
Katherine added “I love painting, especially portraits and after I found an artist online who brings awareness to her struggle with endometriosis, I saw an opportunity for myself to bring awareness to MND. Therefore, I have painted seven portraits all relating to my interpretation and perception as a daughter who watched her dad struggle with the disease over some years.”
Go to Katherine’s Instagram page to see more of her artwork @katherineburgessart
