GREENOCK firefighter Phil Moir is tackling Scotland’s highest mountain with his colleagues in aid of MND Scotland following his father’s death from the condition last year.
Phil, 36, who has been a firefighter for eight years, will be taking on Ben Nevis alongside members from Blue Watch at Greenock Fire Station and will complete the climb and the descent next week wearing full fire kit and breathing apparatus.
His dad, Peter, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in March 2024 and sadly died in November last year.
Peter was an architect and became involved in the design and project management of hospitals around Scotland. He also enjoyed spending his spare time scuba diving and discovering shipwrecks, leading to the publication of two books.
Phil said: “We knew something wasn’t right before the diagnosis as he wasn’t able to do a lot of things he loved doing like scuba diving. He became tired quickly doing anything around the house which just wasn’t like him.
“When my dad was then diagnosed with MND, it was shock at first. The fear of not knowing how long we had left with our dad and never getting to see him again quickly took hold.”
He continued: “My dad’s illness progressed rather quickly in the months after. First his neck muscles started to deteriorate which affected his throat to the point he couldn’t eat or speak anymore.
“He could still text so you could still communicate to a point, but it wasn’t the same. Our family isn’t big so we had to be there for each other more than ever, especially for our mum.
“In the last few months he deteriorated even further and ended up mostly in bed. This was the hardest part throughout the whole illness — seeing someone so fit and able to do pretty much anything be brought down so quickly was so unfair.”
Phil said: “My watch wanted to do something to help me raise money to give back to those who helped look after my dad.
“I know it’s not going to be easy, especially in full kit. In preparation for the climb we have been tackling a few Munros, wearing weighted back packs to simulate the breathing apparatus sets.
“Any training we do in preparation won’t come close to what it’s going to be like going up and down Ben Nevis. Knowing the money raised will help others in similar situations will be the driving force for us all.”
More than £3,500 has been raised so far ahead of the challenge. Donations can be made via the JustGiving page.
