Charity event in Gordon’s memory
A TEACHER who died from a rare disease which attacks the blood vessels is to be remembered through a charity ball.
Gordon Mott, who worked part-time at St James’ Middle School, in Bury St Edmunds, died from vasculitis in 2006.
The rare inflammatory auto-immune disease affects about 2,000 to 3,000 people a year in the UK and can lead to muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, pain, severe migranes, blindness, deafness, loss of limbs and organ failure – although its not always fatal.
Tracy Martin, Gordon’s partner, is trying to raise awareness of the disease and funds for Vasculitus UK which helps research the condition and treatements.
She is holding a charity ball at The West Wing, at Ickworth on October 20.
The couple met in 1993 while working at Holywells High School in Suffolk.
“He was a fit healthy man. He hardly ever had a day off work,” said Tracy, who lives in Pakenham.
“He was an ardent gardener and a founder of the Capel St Mary allotments association. Every day he would walk his dog.”
Gordon became ill with a persistent cold in October 1995. He went to see his GPand by Christmas his fingers started to go numb.
He collapsed at home in January.
Dr Richard Watts, consultant rheumatologist at Ipswich Hospital, diagnosed Gordon’s condition.
He said the drugs and treatments such as chemotherapy used to treat vasculitis are similar to those to treat cancer.
Gordon was left partially blind and with a limp after the disease attacked blood vessels in his left leg and eye.
He went back to work one and a half days a week at St James’ Middle School in the late 1990s.
Then, in 2006, after a dream holiday to Barbados, the disease came back.
He went back into hospital but died on April 13.
“It was completely unexpected, a complete shock,” said Tracy.
Tracy, whose nickname is Little T, has organised All Aboard With Little T charity ball. It has a formal, smart casual dress code with an optional nautical fancy dress theme.
Tickets cost £40 – contact Arts 360 on 01284 704656.
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Sunday 19 May 2013
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