Pieces of art exhibited by people with rare condition

Members were asked to submit artwork in a competition and the winning pieces were on display at the Life with Art Exhibition.

Life with Art was established in 2010 with the purpose of helping young and disabled people throughout the UK through education in the arts.

Steve Saunders, the charity’s regional organiser for London, the east of England and the south-east, said: ‘We are benefiting from a scheme run by the Life with Art organisation.

‘We started with a competition open to our members and their families where we were treated with all kinds of art like paintings, poetry and poems.

‘We have exhibited some of these in Portsmouth last week so members of the public could enjoy it as well.’

The charity will also be sharing information about myaware and myasthenia, a rare neuro-muscular condition that affects about 10,000 people in the UK and causes a weakening of the muscles.

It says most people do not know about the condition and most doctors have only a vague knowledge of it and so it tends to go undiagnosed.

Myasthenia gravis, like most rare diseases, is often chronic and if left untreated it can be life-threatening. It can affect all ages and all races, and the number of reported cases in children is on the increase.

There is no existing cure and control by medication is the best that can be done.

Myaware is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting people diagnosed with this syndrome.

As well as providing help to families, friends and carers through local branches, myaware also works to raise awareness of the disease.

For more information about Myasthenia Gravis or about the local branch and support network, please contact Steve Saunders, the regional organiser, on 01323 404066 or email [email protected] or visit myaware.org.