A woman from Cumbria will take on a three-day walk in November in order to raise awareness of a rare life-threatening disease. 

Charlotte Hewitt, from Egremont, suffers from Huntington's Disease, which is a rare genetic disorder that destroys cells in the brain, affecting the ability to move, think, and behave.

Symptoms include depression, memory loss, mood swings and difficulty moving.

When Charlotte's son was born 10 years ago, her father suggested that she be tested for the disease, and unfortunately, it came back positive. 

She said: "After it came back positive I managed for about four or five years but then there was a drastic change.

"Suddenly, I’d be leaving the cooker on, I left the dog at the park and just walked away. I seemed to forget everything.

"I was feeling depressed and angry, everything was just coming out at once.

"I went and got some help but around February of this year, my engagement with a lady who was helping had to stop. I went from very high to quite low in a short space of time.

"Nine weeks ago, I went and asked for help at the doctor and got turned away four times. Different appointments were cancelled.

"Nobody seemed to know what Huntington’s Disease is."

An incident at home, which Charlotte has no memory of, resulted in her being in a coma until recently, but that has only increased her desire to raise awareness of the disease.

On November 20, Charlotte will be joined by her partner, her son, and their dog, on a three-day walk from their Egremont home to Keswick. 

She said: "There’s no awareness out there, I want to raise money for charity but my main aim is to ensure that people know more about it."

You can donate to Charlotte's fundraiser here.