A FAMILY living with the devastating effects of functional neurological disorder (FND) have teamed up with local freemasons to raise £8,000 for charity.

Dave Bellany lost his wife Kirsten to the effects of FND when she was only 36, leaving behind three children.

FND is caused by sudden abnormality in brain functions, resulting in a variety of symptoms including seizures, sensory issues and paralysis.

Mr Bellany teamed up with members of the Thorntree Lodge in Prestonpans to raise money in memory of Kirsten on what would have been her 40th birthday, taking on a year of fundraising activities.

Pete Barrie, the master of the lodge, said: “My good friend Dave Bellany lost his wife Kirsten at the tragically young age of 36. She left behind three children.

“As she suffered from FND, we decided to raise funds for research into this condition and we did so to commemorate what would have been the 40th birthday of a wonderful friend, wife and mother.”

Mr Barrie joined Mr Bellany and his young son Declan on a 26-mile walk, from the lodge hall on High Street all the way to Tynecastle and back via Leith.

And Mr Barrie spoke of the other activities the team took on to raise funds.

He said: “We started off with a Hallowe’en-themed fancy dress silent disco. This was such a success that we decided a fitting end would be another one at the end of the year, to ‘bookend’ the fundraising.

“We also held a raffle at Christmas time which brought in £3,000, and an auction for signed Hearts and Hibs tops, a limited edition bottle of whisky, plus autographed Josh Taylor gloves and jersey.

“In addition, we received a very generous donation from Billy Gray, a local taxi driver, who hosted a games day in memory of his late brother, which benefited us to the tune of £1,100.

“We ended up with a total of £8,150 which we are delighted to donate to this cause.”

The cheque was presented to Dr Verónica Cabreira and Professors Jon Stone and Alan Carson, of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Stone said: “We are so grateful for this donation and all the hard work that went into it. FND is a really hidden but common cause of neurological symptoms and disability.

“In the last 20 years, research by the Edinburgh team has helped neurologists approach and treat FND in new ways and has also helped everyone realise how common it is.

“You can find more information about FND at neurosymptoms.org”