Thanks for taking the time to visit my Big Walk JustGiving page.

I will take part in the University of Sheffield's Big Walk 2015. The bravest 21 will walk the whole Pennine Way in 15 days, and I - along with over 100 other people from around the University - will join the walk on Thursday 17 September 2015 for the final stage, from Edale to Sheffield, covering over 18 miles of glorious countryside, and a few hills along the way (oh, will I make it...?). In case you are wondering, I took my windy selfie on my training walk on Arthur's seat in Edinburgh, I've done three long training walks on North Yorkshire moors & Cleveland way, and spent some hours on exercise machine!!

We are doing this to raise funds for Lung Disease research at the University of Sheffield, specifically our leading research in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension - a life–threatening condition affecting the lungs and the right side of the heart. I signed up for this walk as someone I know was diagnosed with PAH. Please help us to make a difference. 

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a rare but devastating condition. Sadly, most of the 500 or so patients diagnosed annually in the UK die from progressive heart failure within 5 years.  This is a worse prognosis than most cancers, and although medical therapies can alleviate symptoms and, at best, slow progression there is currently no cure for PAH. PAH begins when tiny arteries in the lungs become narrowed or blocked. This puts an enormous strain on the heart as it works harder to pump blood through the lungs. PAH is a very serious condition that becomes progressively worse, causing the heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail. As the disease worsens it becomes difficult for individuals to carry out even normal activities. Ultimately, the disease is fatal without a lung transplant.

Sheffield is a major international centre for the diagnosis, treatment and research of this condition. We are already making exciting discoveries that we hope will lead to better treatments and ultimately defeat this condition. The money we raise from this event will accelerate our research and help us to develop and test new treatments and make them available for patients as quickly as possible.

Thank you for supporting the Big Walk, together we can make a real difference to the lives of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the University. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the University.