Respiratory nurses to take on the Great North Run

28 August 2019

Two Respiratory Specialist Nurses are to take on the famous Great North Run to raise money for the British Lung Foundation.

Sharon Hamer and Cath Brownfield will take part in the half marathon on 8 September.

Sharon is a Respiratory, Sleep and Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) Nurse Specialist at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Cath, who now works in the community respiratory team, worked on the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) at RSH with Sharon for many years and, until recently, worked as a sister on Ward 27 Respiratory at RSH.

Sharon, who works at RSH, said: “Cath and I are both respiratory nurses and we see on a daily basis how cruel and debilitating these conditions can be.

“Every week 10,000 people get a new diagnosis of a lung disease and every five minutes someone dies from lung disease. Over 700,000 hospital admissions every year are due to lung disease.

“Lung disease also affects children and 108,000 children are admitted to hospital each year, with 262 children under the age of 14 sadly dying each year.

“The British Lung Foundation funds research to find new ways to prevent, treat and cure lung diseases. They have over 230 ‘breathe easy’ support groups in the country and their support helpline answers more than 20,000 calls a year.”

To support Sharon and Cath, visit their online donation page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sharonhamer76