My half marathon for the ILFA

In 2024 our lives were turned upside down when my Mam Sheila was diagnosed with a terminal illness Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Nobody in our family had ever heard of this disease before let alone imagined the impact it was going to have on our family. IPF is a progressive lung disease that causes scarring and damage making it difficult to breathe. Overnight my Mam was told that she needed to go on oxygen and couldn’t go back to her job that she loved so much.

My Mam then spent 5 months undergoing rigorous testing and endless hospital visits and admissions to see if she was eligible for a life extending lung transplant. While she passed every test we were dealt the second devastating blow that my Mam has extremely rare antibodies and only matches 10% of the population. We were advised that the chances of a match are slim but a chance is still a chance and on the 6th of March my Mam was finally listed live on the transplant list. Now we anxiously await the call for a donor match. My Mam has been a beacon of strength and resilience during the most challenging of times and has truly inspired me. With this I will be taking part in the Clontarf half marathon on the 5th of July to raise funds for the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA) supporting patients and families who are affected by lung disease. I will also be taking part in the women’s mini marathon in the build up to the half marathon.

Since my Mams diagnosis I have connected with many people going through the toughest of times with this disease and I would love nothing more to do my bit to help where I can. I also want to use this opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of being a donor. Giving the gift of life is one of the greatest things you can do. Having the conversation with your loved ones and agreeing to be a donor could save up to 8 lives, that one conversation today could save someone’s tomorrow.

Running 21k is a huge challenge for me, I hope that you can support me along the way with your kind donations. I am grateful for the opportunity to use my lungs for good to help those whose lungs are struggling.

Thank you for reading my story & your support!