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Me and my younger sister Louise are jumping on the 22nd July in memory of our mum Sue Cartwright who passed away aged 57 from the lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a rare and little understood condition that affects over 6000 people each year, resulting n the deterioration and scarring of the lungs.

IPF affects each person differently with medication and a lung transplant in a small number of people being the only treatments. However for many people, the reality is that not everyone will make it to be able to have a transplant.

Over the period of a few months mum began to notice that she
felt more tired, was struggling to get rid of a cough afer a big chest
infection and that she began to struggle with her breathing. In November 2015 she was diagnosed with IPF. In February 2016 she was invited for a lung transplant assessment, however over the months became too ill to attend the following sessions and was hospitalised many times. On the 19^th July 2016 our mother passed away in hospital less than a year after her diagnosis, leaving behind 4 children, grandchildren and many more friends and family who loved her. She also left behind a memory in the minds of the hundreds of children she taught and people she helped. She was a kind and thoughtful and we all miss her more than we can explain.

The British Lung Foundation is looking for cures not only for IPF, but for a range of lung conditions affecting millions of people each year. They also run helplines and support groups which are invaluable for people struggling with these conditions.

IPF has already claimed 3 members of our family. We want to help raise money to help fund research for treatments and cures in order to stop families in the future going through what we have.

Thank you for reading

Emily and Louise Cartwright

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