You may have seen the club’s twitter logo has been turned purple this September. I’m here to tell you why.

My dad was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in August 2018 however I didn’t find out until a few months later. I remember the week well as I found out on the Wednesday about my dad's diagnosis, and then on the Saturday I ruptured my ACL against Northampton Saints, but the injury, rugby and everything else paled insignificant to the devastating news we received as family.

The outcome of the diagnosis was there in black and white: my dad’s life expectancy was two to five years. As I’m sure you can imagine, we were all distraught. We weren’t really sure of all the signs of Pulmonary Fibrosis, nor the history of it. It is quite an unknown disease which many people aren’t knowledgeable of.

Pulmonary Fibrosis affects 70,000 people in the UK. It’s a lung disease which progressively sees your lungs scar and become stiff, leading to low oxygen levels in the blood. There is currently no cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis and approximately 8,000 people die from the disease per year.

My dad now relies on oxygen 24/7 using either a concentrator or tanks to help with breathing. Everyday tasks have become increasingly more difficult, and it also means we struggle to do normal things together as a family.

The club have been great with my family and I, giving us every bit of support we have needed over the years. My family have all been amazing since my dad's diagnosis too, especially his wife Sylvia who has given him every ounce of support possible.

Dad has reached a point now where there is a limited amount of treatment available and as a family, we will continue to appreciate the moments we have together and make memories in the best way we can.

The reason I would like to speak publicly is to raise awareness of Pulmonary Fibrosis. Awareness of the disease is currently so low and often people haven't heard of it, nor do they understand the severity.

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis have been brilliant and the charity does so much to get the message out there. We are really grateful for the support the charity has given us over the past few years and we want to spread the word to ensure they can help other families affected.

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis have inspired us to go purple this month in an attempt to raise awareness and will continue to fund research towards a better future for people living with PF. There are some important links below, and I would be grateful if you could take a look at them as well as signing the petition which is to increase funding for the treatment for this terminal disease.

Thank you for your support.

Daz

MORE INFORMATION

SIGN THE PETITION

Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis

Scar tissue or fibrosis in the lungs impairs how well the alveoli can transfer oxygen that is breathed in, eventually leading to low oxygen levels in the blood. As the amount of scar tissue increases, the lungs become smaller.

The symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis may include:

shortness of breath, which may occur with exercise initially, but it worsens over time
a persistent cough
rounded and swollen fingertips (finger clubbing)
crackles over your lungs heard by your doctor using a stethoscope

Darren Atkins on raising awareness of Pulmonary Fibrosis

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