A father with motor neurone disease has met Prime Minister Andy Burnham to demand help in finding a cure. Mark Sommerville, 45, from Uddingston, Lanarkshire, was given just 18 months to live after being diagnosed with MND in October 2023.
Mark set up the Mark Sommerville Foundation and has raised more than £120,000 for MND research and care. He took his campaign directly to the heart of government during the PM's visit to Motherwell College on Friday, urging him to accelerate research into the condition.
Appeal for urgent action
Mark said: “We desperately need a cure and we need help now. There is no cure for MND, so everything must be done to give people a chance.”
“It was good to meet with the PM and raise our appeal directly with him. The Mark Sommerville Foundation and I are grateful for the time these important people give us to raise our concerns, but it is time for positive action. It is time for focus and funding to get that long-awaited cure.”
Support from MP and recognition
The meeting was arranged by Mark's MP, Frank McNally, whom he thanked for his support. Mark said: “Thank you to Frank McNally, MP, for arranging the meeting with the PM and for his previous and ongoing support. Also, thank you to everyone who supports the Foundation. Your love, support and funding are what keep us going.”
In September, Mark received a top fundraising award at this year's BBC Make a Difference Awards, recognising his work supporting people with the condition. In August, he met First Minister John Swinney, handing him an egg timer as a reminder that time is running out for people living with MND.
Mr Swinney had previously said: “It is vital that where individuals have a diagnosis as devastating as MND, that we have in place the support services and assistance to aid those individuals as quickly as possible.”
