Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow, today (Tuesday 16th June) joined Ryan McLaughlin, a fourteen-year-old Drumchapel-local, his family and a 200-strong army of Shine on Scotland campaigners, on their march down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament, so that Ryan could lodge his petition on the positive benefits of vitamin D for multiple sclerosis.

Ryan organised the campaign and march after his mother, a former taekwondo champion, developed Multiple Sclerosis in her thirties.

The campaign, and accompanying petition, aims to seek clarification on Scottish Government advice on the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D for children, adults and pregnant women and seeks to ensure that these levels are delivered to these groups. This follows research which points to a lack of Vitamin D as a contributory factor toward the incidence of multiple sclerosis.

Having joined the campaigners on their march to Holyrood, Bill Kidd MSP commented: "I was delighted to join the campaigners on their march down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament, and to get behind Ryan and all the Shine on Scotland campaigners. They have worked so hard in raising awareness of the potential benefits of Vitamin D, in preventing the incidence of Multiple Sclerosis.

"Scotland seems to be the ‘genetic source’ for Multiple Sclerosis and from that it would seem only right that we take a lead in tackling it right from pregnancy and birth and throughout life by adopting a regime of Vitamin D every day.

"I have been so impressed by Ryan McLaughlin as the voice of ‘Shine on Scotland’, for a young man to speak so well on such a difficult subject as MS which affects his family as well as thousands more across Scotland is something his parents, Kirsten and Alan, can feel proud of.

"Shine on Scotland has a message of hope that we can aim to rid our country of the scourge of MS and that it can be done with something so common and cheap to provide as Vitamin D means it’s a ‘no brainer’ to me."

Note:

Information on the march to the Parliament can be found here.