A HEREFORD student is set to brave the shave to raise money for a charity fighting the illness her mother is facing.

Laura Hill, 24, is a second-year media studies student at the Royal National College.

Her mother, Sue, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year aged 61.

Laura is dedicated to raising as much money as possible for the Motor Neurone Disease and will shave her head for charity this summer.

She said: "Mum now has slurred speech and will lose her grip on things and struggles to walk sometimes.

"As a former nurse, she used to work with MND patients so she had a rough idea of what to expect following the diagnosis but the rest of us didn't.

"I am just trying to do as much charity work as I can as the Motor Neurone Disease Association is brilliant and do so much."

Motor neurone disease is a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system. This leads to muscle weakness, often with visible wasting.

Laura said: "There is no cure for MND. A lot of people, when they first think of it, will think of Stephen Hawking who has lived for more than 50 years with this disease but he has got such a rare case and actually, the life expectancy is up to five years at the most."

She added: "My hair is just over shoulder-length now and I have been trying to grow it for years so this is a big deal for me."

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/MNDaware