Thanks for taking the time to visit this Just Giving page.

On 9th December 2013, my beautiful mum passed away from COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a serious long-term lung disease in which the flow of air into the lungs is gradually reduced by inflammation of the air passages and damage to the lung tissue. The disease affects every aspect of day to day life. Mum had been diagnosed in February of that year, when she was already in the end stages. During her last few weeks, she was unable to wash, dress or mobilise without help. This, combined with a spinal condition (kyphosis) which caused pressure to the lungs, resulted in her loss of life, aged just 57.

As a way of honouring my mother's memory and to also raise awareness of COPD, so that others have a better understanding of the condition and know the signs to look out for, I will be running a 10k in Edinburgh in May to raise funds for the British Lung Foundation (Scotland and Northern Ireland) and to give my own lungs a well overdue workout! I would be grateful if you would dig deep into your pockets to support this cause!

We are not alone. In Britain; COPD is responsible for over 25,000 deaths per year. The British Lung Foundation provides support and advice to patients and families affected by COPD, amongst other lung conditions. They also raise awareness about prevention of the disease and fund research into treatment. They have provided over £22 million towards supporting research - your contributions can help them to continue this work.

Many thanks,

Barry Fitzpatrick