In November 2012 my partner Lisa suffered her 5th lung collapse, following a CT scan she was diagnosed with possible Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM for short!!), in April 2013 this diagnosis was confirmed.

LAM is a rare multi-system disease which effects woman. It is a progressive disease that destroys lung tissue and erodes lung function. There is currently no cure and little effective treatment. For some patients lung transplantation is their only means of survival.

Lisa and I have always been heavily into exercise and keeping fit (in fact we met at a fitness weekend!). We have taken part in many charity bike rides and running events over the years so this diagnosis came as a huge shock to both of us, wondering what the future held for Lisa. Our initial investigations on the internet were very doom and gloom with life expectancy of 10 years from diagnosis. Lisa was then advised by her consultant to visit  the LAM Action website, a charity based in Nottingham which has 2 primary aims :

To provide information & emotional support for LAM patients and their families

To educate health professionals about LAM and advance research into LAM

We attended their annual patient meeting in June 2013 and met other patients and the Professor who is leading the research. Lisa and I left this meeting feeling much more informed and more able to accept the diagnosis, reassured that life expectancy with this disease is not easily predicted due to the rareness and in many instances is longer than the 10 years we had previously read about. Lisa is also in regular contact with other patients through the LAM Action patients self help group.

It was also at this meeting we learnt that as LAM is so rare there is currently no government funding for research so LAM Action rely entirely on fund raising and donations. It was then I decided to do my bit and enter the London Marathon to raise funds for LAM Action.

I hope you can help support LAM Action and research into this rare and distressing disease.

I really appreciate your support and thank you for any donations

Many thanks

Mark