Gateway Kent Comment On Joan Anderton’s Fighting Spirit As She Lives Longer Than Doctors Said

March 9, 2012 - PRLog -- Joan Anderton has, without a doubt, more reasons than most to feel proud of her last 50 years. Not only is Joan a mum-of-two and a director of her own company, but she’s done so during time the doctors said she’d never have. In fact the 64-year-old was told she probably wouldn’t live past 15. Managing Director of Gateway Kent has commented, saying, “It is incredible to see that Joan, now 64 years old has defied Doctors predictions of her not living past 15”

Joan was born with Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy – a extremely rare form of the muscle-wasting disorder which affects between 1,000 and 1,400 people in the UK and causes weakness in the shoulder and pelvic girdle. Movement problems challenged her childhood, and after a diagnosis at the age of 12, frequent visits to doctors marked the next few years. Then a rough patch during her teenage years, when “lots of prayers were said” seemed to indicate predictions of not reaching adulthood would come true. But Joan refused to be beaten and pushed forward with a determination to live life to the full. Managing Director of Gateway Kent commented further, “Joan is inspirational. Joan, lived her life to the max and that is why she is here, more than 5 decades longer than doctors predicted.”


Despite never knowing when the condition would reach the point where she needed help getting around, Joan was only confined to a wheelchair 16 years ago.
Now, she confesses to being in a lot of pain. On average it takes her two hours from waking at her home in Downswood to get to her desk a few miles away at Invicta Valves on the Park Wood Industrial Estate, Maidstone, where she works with children Mark and Keeley. But, even taking all the struggles into consideration, Joan knows her life has been good. “I have just been very lucky, to be honest, the difficulties that you have in overcoming a disability actually make other challenges in life appear quite easy.” A source from Gateway Kent had this to say, “Joan will be an inspiration for many young children that are in the situation now that Joan was in over 50 years ago... Joan gives hope to them.”

Inspired by their mum’s determination, Mark and Keeley, with workmate Maria Gentle, will be running the London Marathon for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign on April 22. To sponsor them visit http://justgiving.com/milesformum

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