Penelope's Army
Jade Conroy is raising money for Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Story
Team:
Ian Conroy - Penelope's Dad
Matthew Loring - Penelope's Uncle
Dan Elliott - Penelope's Cousin
Danielle Welch - Family Friend
Daniel Hanley - Family Friend
Steve Thomas - Family Friend
Michelle Thomas - Family Friend
Allan Faulds - Amazing Stranger (friend of Danielle)
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition affecting 10,800 people in the UK (70,000 worldwide). Babies that are born with CF have a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting it and can only have it if both parents are carriers of the faulty CF gene.
The gene affected by CF controls the movement of salt and water in and out of cells and causes a build up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs causing a wide range of challenging symptoms. People with CF often look healthy on the outside, but each individual is battling their own range of symptoms on a daily basis. Today the average life span for people with CF is about 37 years, but we are here to change that.
Here's a little bit about why this is so close to my (Ian) heart:
On 12th July 2016 our world was completed when our beautiful Penelope came into our lives. For 24 hours we were in a bubble of euphoric bliss. It became apparent after this that all was not well when Penelope had not opened her bowels, and she needed life saving surgery at 2 days old. She had meconium ileus (sticky poo) which 90% of the time is a sign of CF. We will never forget the moment the surgeon told us, that this tiny little perfect angel, had this awful condition that we knew hardly anything about. In that moment it felt like the world ended. Penelope had a stoma, to give her bowel a rest, which was reversed after a month in Intensive and Special Care and she was allowed home. When she was 10 days old she had a sweat test which confirmed our worst fears.
In January this year, she suffered complications from that first surgery. Scar tissue had caused her gut to twist, causing her bowel to block again. After 4 days of different procedures to try and unblock her (when the cause was not known) she underwent emergency surgery again. The surgeon told us the twisting had caused all of her organs to be moved around her body, she removed her appendix so that she could use the opening to clear her out more, and she even needed a blood transfusion. But the little fighter that she is, as usual, bounced back and managed to get herself home a week and a half later.
Anybody that didn't know about her story might struggle to believe what she has been through in her short little life and continues to go through on a daily basis. Her pictures and videos show a happy and healthy perfect little girl, which she is, and we plan on keeping her that way for as long as we can (with the help of her daily medicines and physio). She really is the joy in our lives (along with our handsome little Teddy) and we thank God every single day for blessing us with her. She is cheeky, determined and the funniest little madam you could ever wish to know, and she has more fight in her than any adult I have ever met.
Please donate as much or as little as you can. Even £1. A cure is nearer than ever to being found and we want CF to stand for Cure Found in the very near future for our Penelope, and for all the CF warriors that fight this awful condition every single day.
Ian Conroy - Penelope's Dad
Matthew Loring - Penelope's Uncle
Dan Elliott - Penelope's Cousin
Danielle Welch - Family Friend
Daniel Hanley - Family Friend
Steve Thomas - Family Friend
Michelle Thomas - Family Friend
Allan Faulds - Amazing Stranger (friend of Danielle)
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition affecting 10,800 people in the UK (70,000 worldwide). Babies that are born with CF have a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting it and can only have it if both parents are carriers of the faulty CF gene.
The gene affected by CF controls the movement of salt and water in and out of cells and causes a build up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs causing a wide range of challenging symptoms. People with CF often look healthy on the outside, but each individual is battling their own range of symptoms on a daily basis. Today the average life span for people with CF is about 37 years, but we are here to change that.
Here's a little bit about why this is so close to my (Ian) heart:
On 12th July 2016 our world was completed when our beautiful Penelope came into our lives. For 24 hours we were in a bubble of euphoric bliss. It became apparent after this that all was not well when Penelope had not opened her bowels, and she needed life saving surgery at 2 days old. She had meconium ileus (sticky poo) which 90% of the time is a sign of CF. We will never forget the moment the surgeon told us, that this tiny little perfect angel, had this awful condition that we knew hardly anything about. In that moment it felt like the world ended. Penelope had a stoma, to give her bowel a rest, which was reversed after a month in Intensive and Special Care and she was allowed home. When she was 10 days old she had a sweat test which confirmed our worst fears.
In January this year, she suffered complications from that first surgery. Scar tissue had caused her gut to twist, causing her bowel to block again. After 4 days of different procedures to try and unblock her (when the cause was not known) she underwent emergency surgery again. The surgeon told us the twisting had caused all of her organs to be moved around her body, she removed her appendix so that she could use the opening to clear her out more, and she even needed a blood transfusion. But the little fighter that she is, as usual, bounced back and managed to get herself home a week and a half later.
Anybody that didn't know about her story might struggle to believe what she has been through in her short little life and continues to go through on a daily basis. Her pictures and videos show a happy and healthy perfect little girl, which she is, and we plan on keeping her that way for as long as we can (with the help of her daily medicines and physio). She really is the joy in our lives (along with our handsome little Teddy) and we thank God every single day for blessing us with her. She is cheeky, determined and the funniest little madam you could ever wish to know, and she has more fight in her than any adult I have ever met.
Please donate as much or as little as you can. Even £1. A cure is nearer than ever to being found and we want CF to stand for Cure Found in the very near future for our Penelope, and for all the CF warriors that fight this awful condition every single day.