Why Santa is running in traditional green for a West Yorkshire charity

A Calderdale-based charity which could help millions of people facing serious and terminal illnesses is staging a Santa Dash at a cricket club.

Christine Beal, of Rastrick, co-founded My Mito Mission after losing her daughter, Emma, to the little known condition Mitochondrial Disease aged just 28.

It’s a complex and, so far, incurable illness, but essentially mitochondrial are like little battery packs inside every cell in the body converting food into energy and if they don’t work properly they can have a major impact on people’s main organs, health and basic wellbeing.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is now known to be a factor in some of the most common and well-known medical conditions and diseases such as cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s, strokes, sepsis, diabetes, epilepsy and even Covid 19.

Christine and Peter Beal with their daughters Emma (right) and Beth in 2012

The next fundraiser is the My Mito Mission Santa Dash at Stainland Cricket Club On Sunday, December 8, at 10am with people urged to arrive well before the start time.

The dash offers two scenic parkland routes - 5k or 1.5k - with santas in their original green suits which fits in with the My Mito Mission signature colour.

Adult tickets are £15 with children just £5 which includes a green Santa hat, a lapel pin and a certificate.

To sign up for the Santa Dash, sponsored by specialist innovative materials company Addev Materials in Holywell Green, go to https://www.mymitomission.uk/get-your-green-on

Mitochondrial dysfunction symptoms can start at any age and can involve any organ in the body with Emma suffering severe problems to her heart and brain before sadly dying in 2017.

Christine says: “Research into Mitochondrial Disease is critical. It can help in the treatment and research for many other conditions which is why we say that Mitochondrial research matters to millions. The more money we can put into mitochondrial research, the more a lot of other conditions could benefit.”

Around one in 5,000 people suffer from the condition – that’s around 13,500 across the UK - which makes Mitochondrial Disease one of the most common genetic ones.

There is no known cure although research is ongoing, thanks to the charity, which could have a positive bearing on research of lots of other, more commonly-known, serious conditions.

Find out more on the My Mito Mission website at https://www.mymitomission.uk