Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am fundraising for the ‘Cystic Fibrosis Trust’ to raise awareness and raise funds for research into new drugs, treatments and gene therapy to increase life expectancy of those with Cystic Fibrosis and to improve their quality of life.

I will be running the Asics British 10K run in London on Sunday 11th July 2010 with the Cystic Fibrosis team.

Like so many people my parents were unaware that they are carriers of the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and that they had a 1 in 4 chance of having a baby with CF.  My sister Ana has Cystic Fibrosis and recently my cousin had a baby with CF.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common life-threatening inherited disease in the UK and the Netherlands. Cystic Fibrosis affects over 8,000 people in the UK and 1,300 in the Netherlands. 1 in 25 of us carry the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis. If you think about our office there are several people carrying the gene, usually without even knowing it.

Cystic Fibrosis is unpredictable.  From the outside Ana looks healthy but CF clogs the internal organs and the digestive system making it hard to breathe and absorb food. inside Ana’s lungs are badly congested making it difficult for her to breathe. At times her lung function has dropped to 40%. In the past people with Cystic Fibrosis often died in their childhood. With better treatments for CF, average life expectancy is now 30s and CF is investigating research that will keep this going up. Ana cannot work and carrying out normal daily activities such as housework and even socialising with friends tires her out. She is often unwell with chest infections and has to take daily cocktails of antibiotics, medication and physiotherapy to stabilise her condition. Despite all this, Ana always looks on the bright side and lives life to the full. She is involved in current gene therapy trials which is the nearest thing to a cure in the foreseeable future. 

There is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis but with your help there is hope, as hope is all some have to hold onto.

All contributions will go the CF Trust to further research into new treatments, medication and gene therapy and hopefully one day find a cure.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Cystic Fibrosis Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you for helping us find a cure.

Jamie Whatmough

For further information about Cystic Fibrosis in the UK and Netherlands see links below:

Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK
http://www.cftrust.org.uk

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Netherlands
NCFS Nederlandse Cystic Fibrosis Stichting
http:/www.ncfs.nl

 

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.