I debated for a long time whether to ask people for help. I debated even longer over whether to advertise the fact on Facebook. But I figure most people know and pretty much all of my friend's have told me to do this so here it goes...

I have a lung condition called Brittle Asthma. This has left me hospitalised over 20 times, in Intensive Care 8 times, and artificially ventilated. The condition is massively variable - 5 years ago I was 7 stones, an endurance runner, a dancer, a singer, a performer, and worked 3 jobs at once. Today I am still trying to come off oral daily steroids which are slowly degrading my bones and teeth, make me irritable, exhausted and in pain. They have also caused me to almost double in weight. I have no control over the disease, nor do the three hospital consultants I am under. I can literally go from being fine to incredibly ill, and vice versa. Right now, I am well. It could last days, weeks, months or years - I, and the hospitals simply have no idea. I spend weeks of my "holiday" in hospital "by choice" as a planned admission to try and find the answer, to run tests, to learn more.

One of the many medications I am prescribed is also oxygen. I have what is known as a concentrator at home, and whilst I have a broken foot, I have a portable one. I am hoping to raise enough money to buy the latter - which allows its user to live a "Normal" life - go places and not be confined by an oxygen tube. The NHS do not fund these unless you are incredibly ill - and even then they can "take back" the portable one if someone worse than you needs it. I am not ready to give up on working, on living and on enjoying life - but they are incredibly expensive. We have raised roughly half of the needed money...I am hoping a few raffles auctions and odd donations on this page will help us raise the rest.

Thank you for reading
xxx