Story
On September 17th I'll be joining lots of other members of
University staff walking the 18 miles from Edale in the Peak District back to
Sheffield, as part of the The Big Walk 2015 - http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/alumni/donate/specialfunds/the_big_walk
I'm doing this to raise funds for Lung Disease research at
the University of Sheffield, specifically our leading research in Pulmonary
Arterial Hypertension - a life–threatening condition affecting the lungs and
the right side of the heart.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a rare but devastating condition. Sadly, most of the 500 or so patients diagnosed annually in the UK die from progressive heart failure within 5 years. This is a worse prognosis than most cancers, and although medical therapies can alleviate symptoms and, at best, slow progression there is currently no cure for PAH.
PAH begins when tiny arteries in the lungs become narrowed
or blocked. This puts an enormous strain on the heart as it works harder to
pump blood through the lungs. PAH is a very serious condition that becomes
progressively worse, causing the heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail.
It is this strain on the heart and decrease in the blood through the lungs that causes the majority of symptoms such as breathlessness, fainting, racing pulse and weakness which can significantly affect quality of life. As the disease worsens it becomes difficult for individuals to carry out even normal activities. Ultimately, the disease is fatal without a lung transplant.
Sheffield is a major international centre for the diagnosis, treatment and research of this condition. We are already making exciting discoveries that we hope will lead to better treatments and ultimately defeat this condition. The money we raise from this event will accelerate our research and help us to develop and test new treatments and make them available for patients as quickly as possible.
Please consider putting a few quid my way to help me raise my target of £200. Every penny raised will be going directly to fund research at the University.