Efforts of charitable 84 mile hike rewarded as cough machines presented to hospital

One was entirely funded by the efforts of father and son duo Paul and Ross Jenkins, who embarked on a four day, 84-mile walk from Bath to Reading, along the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath, in honour of their brother and uncle, Newbury resident Alec Jenkins, who has lived with the disease for 15 years.
The remaining three were funded following an appeal launched by the Reading and West Berkshire Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).
The machines will be based at the hospital and will be available for people to use at home.
Alec Jenkins said: “Words cannot describe how proud I am of my brother and nephew, and my sister-in-law, Lin, for all the work she has done in organising and participating in various money-making schemes to raise funds for the MNDA.
“I realise that it is unlikely that a cure or effective treatment will be found in time for me, but it is still important to find a cure, for the benefit of those sufferers in the future.
“For myself, and those with MND at the moment, my family’s latest efforts have raised funds to buy a cough machine.
“Because my muscles are dying eventually I will be unable to cough. I’m hoping it will be a long time until I need it, but in the mean time the machine is at the Royal Berks Hospital for the benefit of others.”
Chairwoman of the Reading and West Berkshire MNDA, Margaret Moss, said: “The association is pleased to help provide these for people with MND who have need of one to make their life easier.”