7:55am Wednesday 4th April 2012
By Kate Liptrot

A NURSE who works tirelessly to improve the lives of those with motor neurone disease has been nominated for a Community Pride Award by one of her patients.
It is the second time Doreen Foster has been nominated for the health service hero award – last year she won the title for her dedication to supporting people with the condition, and their families, despite being treated for cancer.
This year Mrs Foster, who works as the specialist nurse for the charity York Against Motor Neurone Disease, has been nominated by her patient June Coundon, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease – a progressive condition which damages the nervous system – in February 2010.
Ms Coundon, 53, of New Earswick, said: “I am a victim of motor neurone disease, which is terminal, so I’m not sure how long I have left. I want to nominate Doreen Foster for the time, dedication and support she has shown me throughout my journey with this undignified, cruel disease. She has been an angel to me.
“She is so empathic and she understands everything. She gives me inspiration to carry on. It has made a massive difference to me. Without Doreen I would not be here.
“I don’t feel alone when Doreen is around, she has reassured me that at the end of my life she will be around. She’s one in a million.”
Last month, Mick Waudby, the husband of the late paramedic, Sally Waudby, also spoke movingly of how Mrs Foster and York Against Motor Neurone Disease worked to support his wife and their family in the months until she passed away.
Mrs Foster, of Haxby, said she was touched and surprised to receive a second nomination. She said: “I know there are many other people out there who do fantastic work.
“I love my job and I have got a lot of empathy with people. I try to make living with motor neurone disease a little more bearable and to take some of the pressure off relatives.”
After winning last year’s award, Mrs Foster has been invited to attend lunch with the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice at the Mansion House on Thursday and has also been invited to an event at Buckingham Palace next month.

Doreen was nominated by YAMND for the York Press Community Pride Awards for Health Service Hero 2011 .We all at YAMND knew already that Doreen was a “Health Service Hero”, not only for her outstanding work over 16 years for the charity but also for returning to work after overcoming her own serious health issues.
Part of the nomination read….
“Doreen is indeed a remarkable lady, and has touched the lives of many, always for the better. She would never feel that she is doing anything out of the ordinary, but the many letters we receive prove this to be so wrong.”

Doreen attended the glittering award ceremony with members of her family at York Racecourse in October and was chosen from 3 other deserving nominees for the award on the night. Doreen said, “it was like been at the Oscars an amazing night”
Steve Ryan presented her with her award from Saville Audio Visual, who sponsored the award. Doreen spoke of her own recent illness in accepting the award, “I knew when I got my disease that I had a chance, but it made me feel the impact of having bad news and what a difference can be made . I have been helped by so many Health Service Heroes, friends and colleagues, I am not the only one, so this award is really for everybody. I just hope I can make a difference to people who suffer from this terrible disease (MND).”

This is the second award in 2011 for Doreen. She also received an award from Francesca Horsfield, High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, also for her work with York and District Against Motor Neurone Disease.

Congratulations Doreen….. “because you’re worth it”

Come along and see a cookery demonstration using some essential cooking equipment .

£ 3.50 including wine and nibbles

Proceeds to YAMND

More details contact IRENE COLLINGWOOD or GAIL DEAN 01904 608229

YAMND are proud to support the work at SITraN and have this year donated a sum of £5,000 to fund a particular project at this institute. This is something we were able to do after a very generous donation was made to the charity .The Constitution of YAMND does state that donations to research into a cure for MND will be made if finances allow and this is something we are hoping to do again this financial year.
Members of YAMND did attend both the royal Opening of Sitran and a subsequent Open day in April 2011.If anyone is interested in attending any future open events please contact us.

Volunteers from YAMND will be at Marks and Spencers Food, Parliament Street on 24th November, assisting with bag backing in return for a donation.

This is the first of the festive shop dates in York so please come along and support, and if shopping in M/S have assistance with your packing. We will be there 10.00am until 3pm.
For further information contact Glenda Hamilton 01748 821356.

Chairperson’s report to Annual General Meeting for 2011 held at York District Hospital Monday 17th OCT 2011

This year has seen a variety of issues for the Management Committee to deal with, some more easily dealt with than others. There have been some real positives and some not so but one real positive is the amazing recovery and return to work of our Specialist nurse Doreen Foster.

Many of you will know that this time last year Doreen had been diagnosed with cancer and was still undergoing difficult treatment .Her recovery and determination to return to her work with the charity can only be described as remarkable and further evidence, if that were needed, of her total commitment to her patients. Doreen started her phased return to work in February this year and by August was back to her normal hours. Doreen has already been recognised for her work with MND patients this year when she was awarded the High Sheriffs Award in May. Doreen is also amongst the finalists for a York Press Community Pride Award having been nominated by the charity .We must not forget that whilst Doreen was ill her absence was most abley filled by both Jill Freeman from York Hospice and by our own Kate Adams, a specialist nurse working in the Neurology team at York District hospital .The charity is indebted to both Jill and Kate for the fantastic assistance they provided.

The work of the charity in supporting sufferers of MND and their families would not be possible without the tremendous financial support we receive from so many people. We have had donations from many sources and money raised in a variety of ways. This has included legacies from relatives of people who have died from MND as well as donations made in memory of people, many of which will quote the help they have received from Doreen on behalf of the charity as their reasons for giving. My thanks go to all who have donated whether it be £5 or £50,000 and all those who have raised money by rattling a tin, completing a marathon, jumping out of an aeroplane or cycling from coast to coast, all of which and more have taken place this year.

This year saw Kate and Claire attend the opening of Sitran (Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience), where research is done into the causes and possible treatment of MND and other Neurological conditions. Myself, Shelia Sykes and Doreen also visited later in the year and saw this work in progress. YAMND has recently agreed to donate a sum of £ 5,000 to Sitran to assist in this research. Professor Shaw, our Patron, has acknowledged this donation and said it will be used to go towards sponsoring a studentship to carry out research into an exciting new development in the cause of MND only discovered in the last few weeks.

The YAMND management committee has this year perhaps had to take a bit of a reality check on the running of such a charity especially with regard the current legislation regarding such things as the responsibilities of Trustees and also employment law. The committee is currently working with various external advisory bodies on these issues in order to make sure the charity has everything in place as it should be in order for the future of the charity to be secured.

So to the acknowledgements I must make to people who have contributed to the continued work of the charity.

My thanks to the current Management Committee as a whole for the support I have received throughout the year even when faced with some difficult issues.

To Adryenne Hope for dealing with our membership subscriptions and to Lesley Holroyd for her continuing work with Gift Aid.
To Janet Sharpe for keeping our minutes so well at all our meetings and to Glenda Hamilton, as a new member, for bringing new ideas and energy to the committee.
My thanks to Mark Smith for his sterling work on the YAMND web site which offers people a modern way of keeping in touch with what is going on.
A special thanks to Kate Adams for looking after our MND patients in Doreens absence and beyond .I know Kate enjoyed this role and we received many letters thanking Kate from patients and families .It must be said without Kate’s work the charity would not have been able to fulfil its role of caring for MND patients for some months. Kate served on the Committee as Chairperson and as Committee member and has given her time and commitment in both roles. Recently Kate resigned as she felt her role in the Neurology Team proved to be a conflict of interest with that of the charity. Many thanks go to Kate for all her hard work ,it is appreciated.
To Audrey Halstead, our Treasurer, who does an amazing job in keeping our accounts up to date at all times. I know Audrey had wanted to “retire “ from her post but was persuaded to stay a little longer. This will be a huge role to fill when Audrey does retire and I would like to thank Audrey and her husband Ken for all they do for the charity.
A big thank you must also go to Claire Halstead who has been secretary to YAMND for the last 3 years. Claire has not only dealt with many of the secretarial items involved in the running of the charity but also brought new ideas as to how to move the charity forward .She has not only dealt with our insurance issues but also other time consuming projects. Claire has recently decided not to stand for re election to the committee, as with a young family to look after her time is precious .So many thanks to Claire for all her work in moving the charity forward.

My thanks must also go to Doreen Foster who, as has already been mentioned, has returned to her role with what must be seen as amazing dedication to a job I know she loves .The many letters we receive show that Doreen does make a difference to all she comes into contact with and I think we are very lucky to have her working with us.

So the charity now starts a new year and faces many pressures and does require increased support both financially and in other ways .I hope that YAMND can continue in its role of supporting MND sufferers and their families until such time that a cure ,or at least treatment of sorts, can be found. Lets hope with the work going on at Sitran at the moment this is not too far away.

Hazel Allison

The new committee voted in at this meeting were:

Chair: HAZEL ALLISON
Treasurer: AUDREY HALSTEAD
Secretary: GLENDA HAMILTON

Committee Members: ADREYENNE HOPE, JANET SHARPE, LESLEY HOLROYD

£8.00 ENTRY FOR TEAMS OF 4 SUPPER INCLUDED

Contact Adryenne Hope 01347 811039 for more details