27 May 2020
Cystic Fibrosis Care is asking people support and join in their Virtual Cycle Challenge to raise money to fund anti-bacterial reusable face masks for Cystic Fibrosis patients.
A Cystic Fibrosis patient who approached a Yorkshire health firm to design a special anti-bacterial mask before Covid-19 is now seeing 400 of the bespoke anti-bacterial masks produced, thanks to Cystic Fibrosis Care.
Long before the Coronavirus pandemic, Leeds-based Cystic Fibrosis patient Aden Bradley was concerned when going to his Cystic Fibrosis clinic sessions in hospital around the need to protect against cross infection from other Cystic Fibrosis patients. Aden approached Sue Grant, the Managing Director of Body Doctor in Huddersfield, to design the special mask.
Sue Grant, who runs her firm in Huddersfield with her sons Adam and Sam Wymer, won the Queens Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2016, said: “We stepped up to Aden’s challenge and created a mask designed specifically to protect against 99.99% of bacteria tested that Cystic Fibrosis patients are particularly vulnerable to, including Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas. The mask is reusable for up to one year and can be washed 100 times with replaceable filters, each lasting 40 days, making it sustainable and affordable. We will be donating 400 masks to Cystic Fibrosis Care for the St James Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals.”
Cystic Fibrosis Care, a fundraising charity led by parents of Cystic Fibrosis sufferers, is fundraising with a Virtual Cycle Challenge to secure additional masks for Cystic Fibrosis patients.
Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common life shortening chronic fatal genetic diseases affecting 10,000 children and young adults in the UK. It affects the lungs and digestive system, making it difficult to breathe and digest food. Complications increase with age requiring ever increasing levels of care, treatment and support. The median predicted life expectancy is in 47 years. There is no cure.
The Leeds Teaching Hospital cares for over 400 adult patients in Yorkshire with the disease.
Professor Daniel Peckham who heads the St James Adult CF Unit, said: “Cystic Fibrosis patients are particularly vulnerable to infection, I’m delighted we can offer these special anti-bacterial masks funded by the Body Doctor in partnership with Cystic Fibrosis Care.”
The Body Doctor said it plans to make over 300,000 masks for Cystic Fibrosis patients and the general public.
Patricia Kilpatrick, Director of Cystic Fibrosis Care said, “The Virtual Cycle Challenge is taking place throughout June, you can take part anytime anywhere, indoors or outdoors, individually or in virtual teams”. We want to get as many people as possible to join our Virtual Cycle Challenge #Cycle4CF to fundraise to help us pay for the masks. It costs £10 to purchase just one mask. The great thing is, the mask lasts for one year, just 0.03p per week and with your support we can fundraise to provide masks to Cystic Fibrosis patients across the UK.”
Throughout the pandemic, Cystic Fibrosis Care has provided Covid19 grants to Individual patients experiencing real emergencies and hardship, as well as extra emotional support when patients are struggling mentally.
To sign up to the virtual cycle challenge and find out more on Social Media:
Sign up: www.bit.ly/CFCareCycleChallenge
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cf_care/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cysticfibrosiscare/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cf_care
Photo shows Aden Bradley.