THE line-up at the freshnlo Great Scottish Run might resemble a Mr Men convention this year. For amongst the thousands taking part in the September 7 event is an army of men and women who will be running together, their race numbers pinned to t-shirts with Mr Jelly printed on them.
THE line-up at the freshnlo Great Scottish Run might resemble a Mr Men convention this year. For amongst the thousands taking part in the September 7 event is an army of men and women who will be running together, their race numbers pinned to t-shirts with Mr Jelly printed on them.
The reason for their Roger Hargreaves-inspired look isn't some childhood-style trip. It is in tribute to their Glasgow workmate Bryn Williams For just a few weeks ago, the softly spoken patents agent had to tell everyone in his office that the annoying tapping he has being doing on his desk for the last year wasn't nerves or too much coffee after all. It was all down to tremors due to his Parkinson's disease.
For nine months he has been walking into his Royal Exchange Square office in the city centre and behaving like, well, the usual Bryn. Not a chap, who, by his own admission, is sitting on a "time bomb".
Last month he made the decision to tell his colleagues that he had Parkinson's. And the response was overwhelming.
"I'd known about my condition since September of last year," said Bryn, 37.
"A few of my friends and family had known about it and I'd told my boss on the day I was diagnosed, but that was it.
"I don't know why I hadn't told them. But back in March I'd launched my own website and blog, and I'd decided that I was going to do the Great Scottish Run and the West Highland Way to raise money for Wobbly Williams (the charity Bryn has launched) and I knew that I wanted to tell my clients and my colleagues before they read about it somewhere or on the website.
"So I had a big splurge on Monday June 9 and their response took me by surprise as about 20 of them immediately signed up to take part in the walk. Even more decided that they would do the Great Scottish Run.
"One of my friends has taken it quite badly and he has persuaded 31 people to run in the GSR too.
"Everyone's response has blown me away."
Bryn's ordeal began back in November 2006. He noticed a slight tremor in his right hand. He was just 36 at the time and the GP dismissed it away. It was more of a nuisance than a hindrance - his workmates across his desk putting up with the rat-a-tat-tat from his fingers.
But as 2007 wore on the situation worsened and the GP ordered a series of tests, sending Bryn to the Southern General, which has a specialist Parkinson's unit.
"By July 2007 the doctor thought there was something quite sinister about it.
"It was something I dreaded him saying. I thought it was MS or a brain tumor and I remember thinking that I hoped it would be a brain tumor as at least then it would be something that is either fixable' or its not, and if it is not then it is quick.
"As the tests went on the possibility of Parkinson's came up. But the waiting list would be at least four months.
"When the doctors said that I just had the image of Muhammad Ali or Pope John Paul II in my head and seeing what it had done to them."
Like most people would do, Bryn immediately went home and went on the internet. Wading through Wikipedia he found facts such as: 120,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition but just one in 20 of those people develop the condition before the age of 40.
And apart from learning that it is related to the levels of dopamine in the brain, he uncovered something that left him destroyed a description of the symptoms.
"There was a mention of a resting tremor. The kind of tremor that happens when a muscle is at rest but if I want it to stop I squeeze the muscle and it stops. What I was reading was something I could have written about myself.
"It was a terrible night. I logged off and that night I phoned my dad. I didn't sleep and I cried all night, even in front of my wife Vicky.
"The next morning I phoned the consultant and told him I was ready for that scan now. Fortunately, I got a cancellation that afternoon.
"The next day he called and told me the results all pointed to Parkinson's.
It didn't come as a shock to me as I had already suspected it but it was awful.
"There was no way out. I had Parkinson's"
The youngest brother of seven siblings, what began was the unfolding of telling everyone in the family about the situation. Then it was relating the news to close friends.
In between the tears there was the psychological battle too. For the next few months every tired day, confused moment, worry, pain or panic was blamed on the Parkinson's, whether it was related to the illness or not.
But something else began to emerge too. Bryn, who lives in Bearsden with his wife, and daughter Ella 6, and Rebecca, 4, started to find his feet again.
"The first thing that started to emerge was that I didn't know what Parkinson's was and neither did anyone that I spoke to about it. So there was a major awareness issue going on.
"Then there is the fact that there's no government funding into Parkinson's. All the research comes through pharmaceuticals and charities.
"I'm not the kind of person who can do nothing about something. I don't complain and then not do anything about it.
"So I thought I would do something. I launched Wobbly Williams and made the decisions that while I was fit I would do what I could.
"There isn't a lot I can do and it will probably progress unless someone can make a breakthrough somewhere but what I can do is flag it up.
"And that goes with the Mr Jelly thing. I can sit and be scared or I can, well not laugh, but at least smile a little at the situation."
The charity was launched on St Patrick's Day - March 17 - this year (Bryn is of Welsh descent but was born in Northern Ireland).
Every other day Bryn completes his online diary, highlighting his own feelings, some good, some bad, some funny.
The reaction to news of his illness has given great strength to Bryn through the backing he has received.
Between the Great Scottish Run and the Wobbly Williams West Highland way trip, more than 150 people are taking part.
The Evening Times Great Scottish Run diarist, Melissa Hargreaves is running for his charity, and River City's Libby McArthur is also supporting Wobbly Williams.
Of course, by his own admittance, the longer- term prognosis isn't good. The sight of Michael J Fox, who was diagnosed in 1990 is testament to the damage the disease is capable of causing, even to a person who is not old.
But Bryn, as usual, is trying to see the positives.
"I'll tell you the truth, I now feel a lot less stress in my life," he said.
"I have much less stress than I did before and I have much more perspective on my life.
"I know what is important. I used to have things that I thought were dreams that I thought I had to do or I would have felt my life was a failure.
"Now it is simple. I just want to see my kids safely through school and make sure my family is happy."
You can visit his online diary by logging on to: http://wobblywilliams.com
