Woman on oxygen walks 100m a day to raise awareness of incurable condition
Inspiring Juliet Coffer has rare sarcoidosis and is on oxygen 24/7, but has set herself a personal 'marathon' to raise money for charity.
A woman who depends on full-time oxygen treatment to keep er alive is walking 100 metres a day in her living room to raise money for research and awareness of the rare condition.
Inspiring Juliet Coffer, who lives in Hampshire, was first diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2004.
Sarcoidosis occurs where lumps called granulomas develop at different sites within the body – and if enough develop around an organ, it can stop it working properly.
For Juliet, it affected her lungs and means being on oxygen 24/7. “I don’t know how long I have left to live,” she said.
“I was told 15 months ago that 50% of people, like me, who reach the point where they can’t be treated actively anymore, don’t survive more than two years.
“My lung capacity is progressively declining. My lungs are only 20% efficient at taking in oxygen from the air I breathe.”
Juliet is walking a challenging 100 metres a day in her house, or the equivalent of 3,000 metres in just 30 days, as April is Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.
“I worked out that I don’t normally walk more than 100 metres a day at home because my oxygen drops off as soon as I stand up, which makes it really difficult,” she said.
Having originally set out to raise just £300, she has so far raised nearly £8,000, and aims to reach £10,000 by the end of the month.
She is also ahead of target, having walked 2,550 metres already, which is six days ahead of schedule.
“Touch wood, it’s going really well,” she said. “If I keep up at this rate, I’ll finish six days ahead of schedule. I’m determined to do it.”
All the money raised will go towards SarcoidosisUK, a charity which researches into a cure for the condition and supports sufferers and will be match-funded by the British Lung Foundation.
Juliet, originally from Bushey and who works as a computer trainer and web admin, says she hopes that research will eventually provide a breakthrough cure.
“No one should be told, ‘you’ve got a 50 percent chance of surviving the next few years,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to have to tell their loved ones that’s what’s happening to them.”
To follow Juliet’s inspirational fundraising journey and support her, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/julietcoffer.
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