Auction stations for cystic fibrosis unit campaign
The Cork and Kerry branches of the Cystic Fibrosis Association have joined forces to raise over €1 million for the unit which will extend the life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis.
The Build4Life campaign plans to build two houses in Castleisland, Co Kerry, and auction them off within 12 months to raise the money.
They have already secured two sites and they have now appealed to contractors to help build the houses on a voluntary basis.
The Build4Life campaign is chaired by Castleisland developer Joe Browne.
“We are looking to anyone involved in the construction industry, and indeed to all industries, to donate their skills, equipment, materials, labour and in return they will be part of a visionary project to extend the lives of many children and young adults living with CF in Ireland today,” he said.
CF, which is also called mucoviscidosis, is Ireland’s most common life-threatening inherited disease.
About one-in-20 people are carriers of the CF gene and where two carriers parent a child, there is a one in four chance of the baby being born with CF.
The condition affects the glands, damaging many organs including the lungs, pancreas, digestive tract and reproductive system.
It causes a thick, sticky mucus to be produced, blocking the bronchial tubes and preventing the body’s natural enzymes from digesting food. There is no known cure.
Ireland has the highest ratio of CF sufferers per capita in the world.
But we have one of the lowest life expectancy rates of any country in the world.
The average age expectancy here is 21 while people are living into their late 40s in countries such as Canada.
Mr Browne said Build4life intends to tackle this issue head on with a CF treatment facility.
*Details from www.build4life.net. Donations can be made to the Build4life campaign at Bank of Ireland account number: 4560 1352; sort code 90-57-58.
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