Lucan woman highlights chronic lung condition

A SOUTHSIDE woman features in a new campaign to offer hope and practical support to people in Ireland living with a devastating chronic lung condition called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF).

Fight IPF, a global Roche campaign supported in Ireland by the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA), the national patient organisation supporting those with the condition, encourages all people living with IPF to stand up to the disease, get informed and ensure that they receive the care they need.

Fight IPF aims to initiate a countrywide conversation on what it means to be diagnosed with the illness and to give hope and real-world support to those living with it. 

The campaign includes three individual journeys of hope, as told by Irish people living with IPF, which are available for the public to view on FightIPF.ie. Those going through their own IPF challenge can also avail of practical resources designed to inform and empower people contained within the online hub. This includes an IPF consultation guide to help people have an informed discussion with their healthcare practitioner.

IPF is a chronic, life-limiting and progressive disease that causes scarring of the lungs. Patients develop severe breathlessness, a cough, low energy and prognosis is very poor. Every year, around 360 people in Ireland are diagnosed with IPF (based on extrapolations from data for the UK) for which the cause is unknown and there is no cure.

Despite this high number and the serious nature of the condition, around 50 per cent of all those diagnosed with IPF in the EU (data from five countries) and around 70 per cent of patients with mild disease – those with more lung function to preserve – are not treated with approved IPF therapy. 

Pamela Martin, from Lucan, who has IPF and features in the Fight IPF video series, said: “When the consultant initially told me it wasn’t good news, my first reaction was: ‘Please don’t say the big C’, but I soon learnt it was IPF, and that there was no cure. I decided in that moment that it wouldn’t control me, because I will control it, and that has been my philosophy since. 

“Like every diagnosis, you have good and bad days, but you can’t let it get in on you. It’s crucial to educate yourself about your condition, and to speak to your doctor about your concerns and hopes for your care.”

Nicola Cassidy, director of ILFA, added: “ILFA is delighted to be a part of the Fight IPF campaign which creates valuable awareness that truly highlights the importance of embracing life, and how maintaining a positive outlook and engaging in exercise can help patients manage this devastating lung condition. Most people have never heard of IPF and as such it can be very isolating for patients who have been diagnosed with the disease. It’s hugely important that people are aware that they deserve care, there is hope and there are practical resources available to them to help them through this journey.” 

To view the campaign videos and access the online resource hub, visit www.FightIPF.ie

For more information about ILFA, you can go to www.ilfa.ie