Tesco staff raise £43k for MND charity in honour of brave Milngavie mum Jennifer

Jennifer Bell (29) was diagnosed with the devastating disease after giving birth to her second child in March 2019 and heartbreakingly given just a few month to live.

Sadly, Jennifer, who has two daughters, Georgia (9) and one-year-old Kacey, is now receiving end of care life at Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow.

Tesco stores director Karen Doherty was so touched by Jennifer’s story, she initiate a fundraising drive across the country.

She said: “Jennifer’s story has been widely publicised in the news and when I read it, it touched my heart. I felt I had to do something to support MND Scotland, who do fantastic work to help those affected by this cruel disease.

“I reached out to my colleagues at Tesco to see if we could do something to support the cause. The store managers were instantly on board.”

Tesco stores, including the local shop at Milngavie, took part in fundraising activities over a weekend last month.

Karen said: “We had male colleagues having their legs waxed, one member of staff shaved their head and another hula hooped for seven hours straight.

“The theme was ‘bright’ and we encouraged staff to donate a pound for each day they wore their own colourful clothes.

“We couldn’t stand and shake buckets due to social distancing, so we decorated Tesco’s blue token stands and used those to collect cash 
donations instead.

“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers and staff, many of whom were aware of Jennifer’s story.”

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This may cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided.

On average approximately 200 people are diagnosed each year in Scotland and there are over 400 people in Scotland currently living with MND.

MND Scotland is the leading charity in Scotland providing care and support to people affected by the illness, as well as funding vital research into finding a cure.

Jennifer has become a well-known face in Scotland for her bravery and fundraising efforts while battling the terminal illness. She has herself raised thousands of pounds for MND Scotland.

To donate to MND Scotland visit www.mndscotland.org/imagine