A LLANBEDROG woman who has Parkinson’s disease has paid tribute to friends after they raised over £1,300 in her honour.

Awen Davies, 46, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and has been fighting its effects over the course of many months.

Her fight against the condition, which is typically associated with people far older than Awen, has seen her travel to the Walton Centre in Liverpool to undergo several brain operations – Deep Brain Stimulation – which have left Awen needing to spend weeks in hospital recovering.

After witnessing Awen’s fight, Gareth and Menai Llyr Evans decided to hold a fundraiser on their friend’s behalf.

Awen said: “I do everything I can to keep a smile on my face, my family are so important to me in that regard.

“As with any battle, I have good and bad days but I try and keep everything as normal as possible. It’s difficult sometimes but I’m a fighter, I’ve always been that way.

“I’ve been unlucky with infections following my surgeries and a nasty fall, but I’ve managed to handle all that.

“The worst part for me was before I received my diagnosis, I kept going to different doctors trying to find out what was wrong but they told me it was just general stiffness. I even think one or two thought I was making it up.

“Then one day I ended up in Bangor and the doctor told me straight away I had Parkinson’s after they asked me to walk down a corridor. It was very forthright but I was just pleased to have an answer.

“My mum suffered from the disease too, so I know how much of an effect it can have. There have been marvellous steps forward in medicine since then though.”

Family friends Menai and Gareth decided to help raise money for Awen by walking Offa’s Dyke, a 180-mile trail that effectively follows the border between Wales and England.

The couple decided to complete their circumnavigation of Wales after walking the length of the Wales Coastal Path last year in memory of their son Robin, who died in an accident in China in 2015.

“Gareth and Menai have been absolutely fantastic,” Awen said.

“They are great family friends and what they’ve done is amazing. All the money they’ve raised will go towards Parkinson’s UK, the biggest charity of its kind."

If anybody would like to donate the site is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GarethaMenai.See this week's north editions for the full story, in shops and online now