I am going to cycle 'Our Place in Space' every day for 30 days in Memory of my late Uncle John who sadly lost his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis before he could be listed for a lung transplant,

'Our Place in Space' is an installation representing the solar system which will stretch 11.8km along the North Down Coastal Path between 24th Feburary and 26th March 2023

As a respiratory Doctor this is a cause very close to my heart as it not only has affected my family personally but continues to affect many of the patients that I look after.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a form of Intersistial lung disease which causes scarring of the lungs. It is a chronic progressive disease which is ultimateley terminal. Most people will only live 3-5 years after their diagnosis. IPF is now one of the commonest reason for lung transplant. However the median waiting time for a lung transplant in the UK in 2022 was 422days and as the demand for transplantation vastly exceeds the availability of donor organs many patients die before they get the chance of a transplant. Sadly for John his disease was very aggressive and he died within 3 years of his diagnosis.

Whilst We Couldn't change Johns 'Place in Space' I hope this cycle will raise awareness regarding the delay in passing the OPT OUT organ donation law in Northern Ireland and also raise funds for the Northern Trust Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group who provide support to patients and carers all around Northern Ireland.