Hannah’s marathon bid to help a friend in need (From Bury Times)

Hannah’s marathon bid to help a friend in need

5:30pm Wednesday 3rd March 2010

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A TEENAGE boy who suffers from a life-threatening disease is cheering on his best friend as she embarks on a mission to raise awareness of his illness.

Jamie Sanders, aged 16, of Rosewood Avenue, Tottington, suffers from Cystic Fibrosis (CF) — a disease which affects his life on a daily basis.

Now, inspired by Jamie, Hannah Price is preparing to run the London marathon to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The 18-year-old Holy Cross College student says that although it is one of the UK’s most common inherited diseases, CF is an illness many people do not understand.

She said: “CF affects mainly Jamie’s breathing and slows down the whole process.

“The charity doesn’t have as much awareness as others which people usually raise money for so I wanted to give it a bit of a boost.”

CF affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with sticky mucus which makes it hard to breathe and digest food.

Last year, Jamie’s condition deteriorated when his lung capacity dropped to about 64 per cent and it was then that Hannah was inspired to help raise awareness.

The pair have been close friends for years since they attended Emmanuel Holcombe Primary School together.

Hannah, of Quakersfield, Tottington, said: “Jamie is in quite good condition at the moment but when we were younger he couldn’t do much sport or get involved with his friends because he had to have treatment.”

The marathon takes place on April 25 and training is well underway for Hannah, who completed the Great North Run last September.

But with exams coming up, the student is finding it tough.

“It is hard trying to fit it in with college work so I am just trying to find the right balance.”

Hannah has a ‘golden bond’ which means she must raise a minimum of £2,000 just to take part.

She held an event at Tottington Village Hall last month including an Indian meal, entertainment and a raffle to kick-start fundraising.

To sponsor Hannah visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HannahPrice.

Fact File

CF affects more than 8,500 people in the UK.

If two carriers have a child, the baby has a one in four chance of having the disease.

The charity, which was founded in 1964, funds research to treat and cure CF

Over two million people in the UK carry the gene that causes CF in around one in 25 of the population.

Each week, five babies are born with CF

Each week, three young lives are lost to CF

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