At 15, I was swim training most mornings before school, playing club and representative netball, and living life blissfully without any concerns or worries. Just how teenagers should be. This wasn't the case for my little sister though. My baby sister.
We're pretty similar in some ways. We both shared a love for netball at school. We even played the same positions. But she didn't get the opportunities I got to build my skills.
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with stabbing abdomen pains. Not the kidney stone or appendix kind of pain. A pain I can only imagine is worse. Scary when you're young and no one around you knows what's happening.
Fast forward a few months, multiple tests and scans and my little sister has Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis.
PSC is an autoimmune liver disease. It causes inflammation in the bile ducts, which connects the pancreas and liver. This gradually damages liver cells and causes cirrhosis, or fibrosis of the liver, slowly deteriorating its function. There's no treatment or cure.
A lot for a 15 year old and her family to digest.
Grade 11 and 12 for Mel consisted of many medical appointments, days off due to fatigue, hospitalisation for pneumonia, lean muscle mass loss and building the confidence to deal with iron stained skin from an iron infusion gone wrong.
Typically people with PSC require a liver transplant 10-15 years after diagnosis. Every year there are multiple tests and scans Mel needs. Not to mention the previous hospital bills for pneumonia, specialists, medications, iron infusions and colitis treatments.
I want my sister to have the life she deserves, the support she needs and the opportunity to get the best treatment.
I have a personal goal to run a marathon on each continent. I will be starting my campaign in May in Lisbon, Portugal - 1 week after I race the Duathlon Age-group World Champs. I want to do it for Mel. The pain I will feel at each 36km mark will be nothing I can imagine she has gone through.
$7000 for 7 continents is ambitious, but I dream big, and I dream crazy. This $7000 will be used to fund more research for the Australian Liver Founddtion and to support those living with PSC.
We're pretty similar in some ways. We both shared a love for netball at school. We even played the same positions. But she didn't get the opportunities I got to build my skills.
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with stabbing abdomen pains. Not the kidney stone or appendix kind of pain. A pain I can only imagine is worse. Scary when you're young and no one around you knows what's happening.
Fast forward a few months, multiple tests and scans and my little sister has Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis.
PSC is an autoimmune liver disease. It causes inflammation in the bile ducts, which connects the pancreas and liver. This gradually damages liver cells and causes cirrhosis, or fibrosis of the liver, slowly deteriorating its function. There's no treatment or cure.
A lot for a 15 year old and her family to digest.
Grade 11 and 12 for Mel consisted of many medical appointments, days off due to fatigue, hospitalisation for pneumonia, lean muscle mass loss and building the confidence to deal with iron stained skin from an iron infusion gone wrong.
Typically people with PSC require a liver transplant 10-15 years after diagnosis. Every year there are multiple tests and scans Mel needs. Not to mention the previous hospital bills for pneumonia, specialists, medications, iron infusions and colitis treatments.
I want my sister to have the life she deserves, the support she needs and the opportunity to get the best treatment.
I have a personal goal to run a marathon on each continent. I will be starting my campaign in May in Lisbon, Portugal - 1 week after I race the Duathlon Age-group World Champs. I want to do it for Mel. The pain I will feel at each 36km mark will be nothing I can imagine she has gone through.
$7000 for 7 continents is ambitious, but I dream big, and I dream crazy. This $7000 will be used to fund more research for the Australian Liver Founddtion and to support those living with PSC.