A COMMUNITY has come together to raise money for a Baillieston man who is battling motor neurone disease (MND).

David Balmer, 40, was diagnosed with the condition in October 2019 and used £30k of his life savings to undergo stem-cell treatment in Mexico that his family believe will slow the progress of the illness.

As a result, David’s family and friends have pulled together to raise money to cover the costs in every way possible.

Some of the fundraising efforts include running 150km in a month and making hand sanitiser to sell in order to coin in cash which was spearheaded by the daughter of David’s close friend Steven Moran.

Glasgow Times: Eva Moran made hand sanitiser to raise funds Eva Moran made hand sanitiser to raise funds

Sitting at £10k, David’s online fundraiser still has a way to go but all involved in the task of raising money are delighted with the progress so far.

As well as raising money to fight the disease, David has also started a blog to chart his experiences. 

He holds live question and answer sessions every week to raise awareness of his condition too.

David’s sister Lindsay said: “We are hoping that anyone, who is able, can spare anything to help us reach this goal and to spread the word far and wide to raise awareness.

"We as a family are very strong and have only a positive mindset for what comes ahead.

"The progress of our fundraiser is fantastic and thank you to each person who has donated so far.”

However, MND Scotland have warned against seeking treatments that have not yet been proven.

Craig Stockton, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said “While MND Scotland is committed to funding pioneering MND research, and researchers and clinicians across the world are dedicated to finding treatments, there is currently no cure.

“We are aware that there are a number of clinics around the world offering stem cell treatments for people with MND. There is no statistically significant evidence to suggest these treatment provide benefits to people with MND. Like all unproven treatments MND Scotland does not endorse these stem cell therapies because they are untested in clinical trials or have no legitimate scientific evidence to back-up their claims.

Glasgow Times: Neardy Kinnaird is running to coin in cash Neardy Kinnaird is running to coin in cash

“While it is up to each individual person whether or not they choose to pay for, and receive, unproven treatments for MND, MND Scotland does not advocate for any treatment unless it is proven to be safe and effective. We would strongly encourage anyone with MND who is considering this to discuss all the implications with their neurologist before making a decision.

“We will continue to fund vital MND research, thanks to the generous donations from our supporters, so that one day we will realise our vision of a world without MND.”

Readers can find out more about David’s battle with the disease here.