A FOUNDATION celebrating the legacy of a Barnsley man who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease has been praised for their fundraising efforts which have helped fund world-renowned neuroscience research.
Ian Pratt was diagnosed with the disease back in 2012 at the age of 42, an illness which is yet to have a cure, followed by months of tests that were triggered by muscle cramps and fasciculations dating back to 2008.
The Ian Pratt MND Foundation was established to provide support to people living with MND to raise awareness and to fund research into find a cure.
Ian, who moved to Barnsley from Australia in 2002, set up the foundation after his diagnosis as he wanted to raise as much money and awareness for the disease as he possibly could.
He died in 2020 following an eight-year battle with the disease - but the foundation has still been raising money in his legacy.
And earlier this month their fundraising paid off as trustees were able to lay the first bricks on an extension to the University of Sheffield’s world-leading neuroscience research facility at a cost of £24m.
Established in 2010, SITraN has become a leading force in neurological research, fostering breakthroughs by bringing together multi-disciplinary teams of scientists, clinicians, and patients. Their pioneering work has led to unprecedented improvements in understanding disease mechanisms, bringing new hope to millions.
Director of SITraN, Dame professor Pamela Shaw, was Ian’s doctor and so it was an emotional day for many involved.
Ian’s wife, Catherine McGaw-Pratt, said: “Pam was Ian’s doctor and although he knew a cure wasn’t going to come in time for him, he was so determined to do everything he could to help accelerate research into MND at SITraN.
“When Ian was diagnosed, there felt like there was little chance of finding effective treatments for MND, but the step by step breakthroughs being made at SITraN have brought families like ours hope.”
The new expanded building will be constructed adjacent to the current facility.
Located directly opposite the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, it will facilitate seamless collaboration with NHS clinical trial facilities and research imaging centres.
The expansion is critical as SITraN has outgrown its current capacity, with an initial research team of 64 now exceeding 300.
It’s hoped the expansion will support those in Barnsley living with the disease.
Pam said: “Over 20 years ago a lady with MND asked me what I would do with £20m of funding for MND research.
“I didn’t think it was a serious question, but I described SITraN - a dedicated facility to bring together scientists, doctors and patients from all over the world under one roof with a shared ambition to improve the lives of people living with neurodegenerative diseases.
“It is quite remarkable how far we have come since SITraN first opened.
“We were the first site nationally to develop an experimental genetic therapy for the childhood form of MND, a breakthrough drug in Parkinson’s, the first to deliver a highly promising new stem cell treatment for MS and our pre-clinical work and leadership in patient clinical trials contributed to the recent FDA approval of a gene silencing therapy for a form of MND caused by changes in the SOD-1 gene.
“This was a major scientific advancement offering the first targeted treatment for a genetic cause of the disease.
“SITraN attracts high-calibre clinicians and scientists from around the world and this new facility will enable us to double our research capacity, give us the space to install cutting-edge scientific equipment and help us to achieve our ultimate goal of finding transformative breakthroughs that are making curative therapies for MND and related neurodegenerative conditions a reality in our lifetimes.”
