Three years ago, I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (I.P.F.), a terminal and debilitating illness which destroys lung function. I had never heard of I.P.F. before my diagnosis. Much publicity has been given to research into cancer and motor neuron disease and other illnesses, but there was very little about I.P.F. I want to draw as much attention to this horrible disease and help with raising funds for research into this illness.      

Cricket has been my life and against all the odds, it has been a huge privilege to have carried on playing after the diagnosis, thanks to all the medical attention and encouragement I have received.      The first six months after diagnosis were dreadful but I wanted to see if I could play in one last game of cricket. Thanks to my palliative care team at the Macmillan Day Centre in Dundee, I worked very hard to get as fit as I could with their physiotherapist and when I walked over the boundary line at St Andrew’s university ground, I felt I’d won the jackpot! I managed ten overs against the lady students. I was thrilled to find out that I could still catch a cricket ball as a wicket keeper. I secured a huge positive feeling from the game, and I continued to work very hard at shutting out negative thoughts and concentrate on positivity.

Please donate what you can. Every pound, rupee or dollar can potentially make a difference.