Brighouse mum's mission for Mitochondrial Disease awareness - details on My Mito Meet Up 2022

For the first time, on October 15 to 16, fourteen of the charity’s ‘missionee’ individuals and families will be meeting in Yorkshire. The weekend will include a family day at Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley and support activities at The Cedar Court Hotel, Huddersfield including a chance to meet leading Mitochondrial research expert Professor Kostas Tokatlidis.

Christine Beal has invited Professor Tokatlidis from Glasgow University to the event to explain to attendees about a new Centre for Mitochondrial Research based in Glasgow which will bring together scientists studying mitochondria’s impact on more commonly known diseases, enabling increased collaboration in the search for new breakthroughs.

Mitochondrial function is key to general health and well-being, aging well and a host of other conditions such as autism, cancer, covid, dementia, infertility, MS, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, stroke, sepsis and many more. Christine adds: “It’s an incredibly exciting new field of medicine which may be the key to unlocking many illnesses. Medical and science experts are now beginning to agree that the future of medicine may well come through mitochondrial research.”

The charity My Mito Mission was set up originally in Christine’s home in Brighouse to raise awareness, funds for research and hopes of a cure.

She explains: “My Mito Mission has a unique concept of ‘person-centred missions’ around the UK where we enable people who are affected to run ‘ready-made mini-charities’, all under one umbrella. Emma’s Mito Mission became the first and in spite of the pandemic we have managed to grow to 17 missions around the UK”

Running My Mito Mission has helped Christine cope with her loss and has grown since 2017 to the point where this landmark gathering can take place to bring hope and comfort to others impacted by mito.

She said: “Our daughter, Emma became ill age 21 from this little-known genetic illness, which is actually one of the most common genetic conditions, despite being underdiagnosed. It’s basically an energy production deficiency which can onset at any age, is progressive and often life-limiting. There was very little support for us at that time and we wanted to change that for others. Currently there are no treatments but through My Mito Mission, we empower those affected to be a part of the solution, gain peer support and together raise hopes of treatments and ultimately a cure.”