MORE than £1,000 has been raised in tribute to much-loved Redditch man Chris Cooper.
Chris, who passed away in October aged 66, had Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) a disease which affects around 4,000 people in the UK.
Once a keen and active motorcyclist, Chris was diagnosed with PSP in January 2015, and the disease, which causes difficulty in movement, behaviour changes, problems with vision and speech, fatigue and severe pain, quickly changed his life.
However, Chris remained positive and determined to raise a smile whenever he could, and his attitude was so inspiring that two of his carers, Jenny Simpson and Angie Skan felt moved to do something for him and for others living with the illness.
The pair, who work for Home Instead Senior Care, hosted an event on November 18 at the Needle Makers Arms in Studley, to raise awareness and money for PSP.
Jenny said: “Chris was an amazing guy and despite the horrendous disease, he always managed to brighten our day – even when he was in pain.
“We wanted to do all we could to help raise awareness of the rare and debilitating illness and raise some money to help the charity find a cure.
“Over time, the disease gets progressively worse with people becoming severely disabled within three to five years of onset. There is currently no effective treatment for PSP although scientists are searching for better ways to manage the disease.”
With a raffle, a cake sale and some unusual fund-raising challenges, they raised £1,323.90, and Chris’s twin sister, Pat, who was also his full-time carer, will make this up to £1423.90.
“The event really was a wonderful tribute to Chris, and I know he would have be overwhelmed if he could have been there himself,” said Pat.
“We are going to do it every year to raise money and more importantly, raise awareness about PSP, because it often goes undiagnosed for so long.
“I always used to tell Chris – ‘you’ll leave behind a legacy’ – and he certainly has.”
