Linda Ball is part of a group of muscular dystrophy campaigners going to London on Wednesday to hand over a petition calling on the Government to improve care for people with muscle disease.

Mrs Ball’s seven-year-old son Daniel has got Duchenne muscular dystrophy – a muscle wasting disease which has no cure. His illness means he could be in a wheelchair in a few years and most suffers don’t live past their late teens.

Mrs Ball, of Wadham Court, Stefen Hill, said: “We are trying to make sure we get a uniform level of care across the country.

“It’s very wrong that you could live until you’re 30 years old in the north east but only 18 in other places.We want a review of services so it’s equal for everyone.”

The group will attend a parliamentary lobby at the Houses of Parliament before going to Downing Street where they will hand over the petition.

Mrs Ball said: “It’s about time politicians sat up and listened. I’m really looking forward to it.

“My way of dealing with this is to scream and shout and raise awareness. I get really low sometimes and one of the ways I cope is to meet up with other families going through the same thing – it’s a morale boost.

Over the years Mrs Ball, whose brother Vaun died of the disease, has been instrumental in campaigning for muscular dystrophy. One of her highlights came in 2006 when she ran the London Marathon, raising thousands of pounds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign as part of the BBC programme Run For Glory.

Mrs Ball said it is ‘breaking her heart’ to watch Daniel, who goes to The Grange School, as he slowly begins to deteriorate.

She added: “I’m doing this to help stop another family going through what we’ve been through. I want to be able to look back on his life and think ‘what did I do?’.

To sign the petition log onto www.muscular-dystrophy. org/campaigns/sign_our.