West Nautical and WATA are thrilled to be announced as joint headline sponsors for the Cure Usher Ball taking place this year at The Hilton in Gateshead on Saturday 21 September 2024 with patron and trustees Mark Jordon and Laura Norton.
Their two young children Jesse and Ronnie both have Ushers Syndrome, a rare condition that affects both hearing and vision. There is no cure.
Laura is currently starring in new ITVBe soap star reality series Drama Queens and has discussed their children’s rare health diagnosis on the show. Playing Kerry Wyatt on Emmerdale for twelve years, Laura met her actor partner Mark Jordon on the set of the TV soap, Mark playing the role of Daz Spencer. Mark played PC Bellamy in long running TV series Heartbeat.
After the major success of the inaugural Cure Usher Ball held in Manchester in 2023, Laura and Mark decided to bring the Ball to Newcastle where Laura hails from. They are both determined to raise the much-needed funds and awareness to find a cure for Ushers Syndrome. The science and talent to find a cure is in place, the funding currently is not, and they are both determined to use their profiles to change that.
Laura Norton said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Cure Usher’s progress and help fund research for Usher Syndrome. This is a night filled with famous faces, dancing, food, prizes, drinks, plenty of fun and jaw dropping ‘money can’t buy’ celebrity filled auction prizes.”
Usher syndrome is an inherited condition that involves both hearing loss and visual loss caused by Retinitis Pigmentosa. A proportion of patients also experience difficulties with their balance. Usher syndrome is a rare condition that affects around 4 to 17 in 100,000 people worldwide. For more information about the event and the charity, please visit https://cureushersyndrome.com
