Attention! Benefit for Sergeant Major Steve at Market Drayton Pub
A PUB will hold a charity evening in honour of an energetic ex-serviceman from Wednesfield diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The Lord Hill pub in Market Drayton, held a charity auction and raffle for Steve Hadley, 58 from Wednesfield, on Saturday 23 at 7pm.
Mr Hadley joined the Staffordshire regiment in 1975 and after serving for 22 years he was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major in 1997. In 2000 he became a quartermaster full time for two years before moving to the Royal Artillery.
He is now on medical leave from the Territorial Army while awaiting a decision on whether he will receive an enhanced pension due to his disease.
Steve said: "I injured my shoulder playing squash years ago, there was a little bit of pain and I thought nothing of it. I started losing muscle in my arm and thought it was due to that.
"A shoulder specialist sent me to a neurologist and six months later I was diagnosed with MND.
"The first thought you have when you are told you have a terminal illness is: How long have I got? But it is hard to tell with MND as it affects people differently."
During his service he spent time in Hong Kong, Belize, Cyprus and received an accumulative service medal for his time in Northern Ireland.
He represented the infantry at squash, plays football, is a keen skier and has run the London Marathon four times. He is also the president of the local British Legion club after giving up the treasury position in order to reduce stress in his life.
He is a member of the Harley Davidson Riding Club of Great Britain of which he said: "I have lost dexterity in my hand but I can still pull a clutch in – but for how long I don't know."
"But I get out of breath easily and can struggle to finish a sentence."
Steve's wife Michelle, 60, from Wednesfield, said: "We went to Blackpool recently and we had to stop every five minutes for a break."
His children, Nadine, 32, and Ricky, 35, have collected over 80 prizes to be sold including a week in Barcelona, signed football shirts from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City and Bobby Charlton, and a paintball session worth £600, as well as smaller prizes for a raffle. All proceeds go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The landlord of the Shrewsbury Road-based pub, Roy Blase, 40, from Market Drayton, said: "I met Steve when he moved here and joined the football team in 96 and I am really looking forward to holding this event for him."
