The trainers are out, the blister plasters are bought and he’s back raising money again! Last June and July, Cairan raised £1500 for the 2 charities that have supported our family since his Adrenal Insufficiency diagnosis and this year, he’d like to continue his fundraising efforts. 💪💰🏃🏽

In July, 2019, Cairan was diagnosed with a condition called Adrenal Insufficiency. Adrenal Insufficiency is a rare endocrine disorder, which about only 9000 people in the UK are diagnosed with.

During September, Cairan is aiming to walk 9km a day, to represent each person diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency in the UK. Cairan would like to raise money for The Pituitary Foundation and The Addison’s Disease Self-Help Group. These charities were the first places we turned to when Cairan was diagnosed and have continued to be an invaluable source of information and support ever since.

Cairan’s condition means that he does not produce enough cortisol, so we have to replace this with hydrocortisone to try to mimic the body. Any stress placed on his body, be it ‘good’ stress like excitement at a birthday party; physiological stress such as common illnesses; emotional stress; physical stress like playing football with his friends; and even the ‘stress’ of working particularly hard at school work… can quickly drain cortisol. Excess stress can, and does, cause an adrenal crisis and ultimately, death, if not treated quickly. Due to its rarity, there is a huge lack of awareness of Adrenal Insufficiency and minimal progress has been made in regards to the management or treatment of the condition. Donations to these charities are helping to make progress with the management of Adrenal Insufficiency.

Cairan has gone from having a very active and relatively carefree childhood to one that requires monitoring, daily medication and careful planning for almost everything that he does. He has improved a lot in the past year, through the process of tapering, but exercise still has a quite an impact on Cairan’s cortisol levels, so this is likely to be a bit of a challenge for him. However, he’s not one to shy away!

If you would like to sponsor Cairan, any amount would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.☺️