My Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page for my Dad.

As stated above I am running the Great North Run for Lupus UK in memory of my amazing Dad.

As many of you already know, I lost my Dad on the 17th of July 2017 due to an awful incurable autoimmune disease called Lupus. He suffered from this since his early 20's when he was diagnosed. However, this did not stop him loving his holidays and living his life to the fullest. Sadly his illness got the better of him after returning from his last holiday where he had a flare-up of his Discoid Lupus with his skin. Later that year on the 1st of July 2017 he had a seizure and was admitted to hospital where he underwent numerous tests to try to determine what was going on and how to fix it. A week later he was transferred to the RVI dermatology unit where sadly he took a turn for the worse and become un-conscience and was put into an induced coma. After a tough fight, he passed away on the 17th of July due to pneumonia, septicemia and a Systemic and Discoid Lupus flare-up that caused multiple organ failure

Donate

Thank you for just reading this even just a share may enable someone to get diagnosed to get the help they need. But with Lupus being often unheard of disease it does require funding to aid and support the charity in supporting those who currently live with this. So please even if you can only donate £1 it will go a long way. My overall goal is to raise £300 and I would be so appreciative of every single person, penny and share to help support Lupus UK this year 

For further information on Lupus please read below:

What is Lupus?

It's an incurable immune system illness, probably genetic in origin and mainly suffered by African and Asian females. It can affect any part of the body and that's the danger. In Lupus, the immune system produces far too many antibodies which, circulating through the bloodstream, cause reactions leading to inflammatory processes anywhere in the body. 

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic lupus is the most common form of lupus—it’s what most people mean when they refer to “lupus.” Systemic lupus can be mild or severe. Below is a brief description of some of the more serious complications involving major organ systems.

• Inflammation of the kidneys—called lupus nephritis—can affect the body’s ability to filter waste from the blood. It can be so damaging that dialysis or kidney transplant may be needed.
• Inflammation of the nervous system and brain can cause memory problems, confusion, headaches, and strokes.
• Inflammation in the brain’s blood vessels can cause high fevers, seizures, and behavioural changes.
• Hardening of the arteries or coronary artery disease—the buildup of deposits on coronary artery walls—can lead to a heart attack.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (Discoid)

This form of lupus is limited to the skin. Although cutaneous lupus can cause many types of rashes and lesions (sores), the most common—called discoid rash—is raised, scaly and red, but not itchy. Areas of rash appear like disks, or circles.

Another common example of cutaneous lupus is a rash over the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose, known as the butterfly rash. Other rashes or sores may appear on the face, neck, or scalp (areas of the skin that are exposed to sunlight or fluorescent light), or in the mouth, nose, or vagina. Hair loss and changes in the pigment, or colour, of the skin, are also symptoms of cutaneous lupus.

Approximately 10 percent of people who have cutaneous lupus will develop systemic lupus. However, it is likely that these people already had systemic lupus, with the skin rash as their main symptom.

What does Lupus UK do 

Lupus Uk is the only national registered charity supporting people with Systemic and Discoid Lupu as well as assisting those approaching diagnosis.

There's far more undiagnosed lupus out there being 'put up with' and we have to increase awareness hugely if these people are to be diagnosed and then get some quality back into their lives. Lupus is usually 'for life' at present, having an ongoing impact upon the patient and also upon her or his parents, children, friends and colleagues.


Donate

Thank you for just reading this even just a share may enable someone to get diagnosed to get the help they need. But with Lupus being often unheard of disease it does require funding to aid and support the charity in supporting those who currently live with this. So please even if you can only donate £1 it will go a long way. My overall goal is to raise £300 and I would be so appreciative of every single person, penny and share to help support Lupus UK this year 

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.