Brave woman defies odds to battle life-limiting condition
Ina McConalogue, 73, was diagnosed with Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis shortly after losing her husband 11 years ago.
The condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult is given a life expectancy of three to five years.
Six years beyond that, Ina is still fighting to keep her life as normal as possible, spurred on by her positive outlook on life.
The Old Kilpatrick woman said: "My husband and I were on a cruise, and I had started coughing a lot. I went to the doctor's because I couldn't get rid of it.
"It's quite a serious condition. There's no known reason for me to have it, but it destroys my lungs, and there's no cure for it.
"There is medication, which I am on, to slow it down, but it is gradually getting worse.
"When I was first diagnosed, I was told my life expectancy was between two and five years.
"I just keep going, I don't sit down to it."
READ NEXT: 'Absolute joke': Fans fume over huge queues for Glasgow Hydro gig
READ NEXT: Son of £3.5 million lotto winner faces jail for abusing his partner
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis estimates that around 30,000 people in the UK live with IPF, with 6,000 new cases every year.
It is most common in people aged 70 and over, with research suggesting an average life expectancy of between three to five years was carried out before treatments that can slow down the rate of lung scarring were widely available.
Ina's grandson, Callum, came up with the idea earlier this year to take part in the Kiltwalk to raise money and awareness for Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, a UK-wide charity.
A link to their fundraiser can be found HERE.
Her two daughters completed the 23-mile route, with Callum joining to complete 12 miles of the trek.
(Image: Supplied) Daughter Marie McDonald said: "She works really hard at keeping herself well, and that makes a difference, but not everyone has the support to be able to have that mindset.
"Her attitude is brilliant, it's mind over matter.
"The medication that my mum is on will never cure her condition, it will only slow it down.
"That's quite harrowing that there is no cure. There's no relief.
"Some of the drugs have really awful side effects.
"A lot of other charities are quite well known and part of this is raising awareness that some people have disabled badges, and you don't really know what is going on with them.
"People might look well on the outside, but the battle is real on the inside."
(Image: Supplied) Marie and her sister Julie, along with Callum, completed the Kiltwalk on Sunday, April 27 and raised a fantastic £300 for Action For Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Streeting launches investigation into maternity services after families ‘gaslit'
A national investigation into 'systemic' failures in NHS maternity care has been launched by the Government after families were 'gaslit' in their search for the truth, the Health Secretary has said. Wes Streeting said that 'up and down' the country 'maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing' and there was 'too much passing the buck'. He stopped short of launching a statutory public inquiry, despite it being the wish of some bereaved families, but said he would keep 'that option open'. He said: 'I think there is a broad consensus that having a rapid investigation is the right thing to do, even where families are pushing for a public inquiry to follow because what I don't think any of those families calling for a public inquiry want to see is action stalled or delayed in pursuit of a public inquiry, or while a public inquiry would take time to run a report.' Mr Streeting, who has been meeting families who have lost babies to poor maternity care, told the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) conference in London: 'Over the last year, I've been wrestling with how we tackle problems in maternity and neonatal units, and I've come to the realisation that while there is action we can take now, we have to acknowledge that this has become systemic. 'It's not just a few bad units. Up and down the country, maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing. 'There's too much obfuscation, too much passing the buck and giving lip service.' Mr Streeting apologised on behalf of the NHS, having met families in Nottingham and around the country whose children have died or been injured. Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is currently examining how hundreds of babies died or were injured in the care of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Mr Streeting said: 'All of them have had to fight for truth and justice, they describe being ignored, gaslit, lied to, manipulated and damaged further by the inability for a trust to simply be honest with them that something has gone wrong. 'I want to say publicly how sorry I am, sorry for what the NHS has put them through, sorry for the way they've been treated since by the state and sorry that we haven't put this right yet, because these families are owed more than an apology. They're owed change, they're owed accountability and they're owed the truth.' The Health Secretary said risk is 'considerably higher' than it should be for women and babies because of a 'crisis' in maternity and neo-natal services. He added: 'Within the past 15 years, we've seen appalling scandals that blew the lid on issues ranging from care, safety, culture and oversight: Shrewsbury, Telford, East Kent, Nottingham. 'The last government responded with initiatives like Better Births in 2016 and the maternity transformation programme. 'But, despite improvements on some metrics, inequalities in maternal and neo-natal outcomes have become more visible, not less. The rate of late maternal deaths has been consistently rising. 'Babies of black ethnicity are twice as likely to be stillborn than babies of white ethnicity, and black women are still two to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women. 'Tragically, that gap is closing slightly, but partly because more white women are dying in childbirth.' Other high-profile scandals had deepened the public's mistrust in the state, Mr Streeting continued. 'From the Horizon Post Office scandal to the infected blood scandal, the degradation of responsibility and trust in our institutions is compounding a cynicism and malaise at the ability of British politics to deliver for people. 'This is a dangerous place for a country to be. 'If we do not admit the scale of the failure in maternity services, we're condemning ourselves to etching that mistrust deeper. 'If we cannot admit openly that we as institutions and as a state got this wrong, we'll never be able to fix it or rebuild that trust. 'Too many children have died because of state failure and I will not allow it to continue under my watch.' The new investigation will consist of two parts. The first will investigate trusts of greatest concern at the moment, including Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and Sussex, 'to hold them to account for improvement', Mr Streeting said. He added: 'I'm currently discussing with Leeds families the best way to grip the challenges brought to light in that trust by their campaigning, reports in the media and the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, and I'll be ordering an investigation into nine specific cases identified by families in Sussex …' The second part of the investigation will be a 'system-wide' look at maternity and neonatal care, uniting lessons from past maternity inquiries to create one 'clear set of actions' designed to improve national NHS care. A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Mr Streeting, has also been set up, made up of experts and bereaved families. The investigation will begin this summer and report back by December. A new digital system will be rolled out to all maternity services by November to flag potential safety concerns in trusts, while an anti-discrimination programme to tackle inequalities is being launched. Asked about the cost of the review, Mr Streeting said: 'I suspect it will be somewhat less than the enormous costs we pay in clinical negligence claims. 'Probably the most shocking statistic in this area is that we are paying out more in clinical negligence for maternity failures than we are spending on maternity services. That's how bad things are. 'So, putting together a review team, undertaking the level of analytical work required to produce a really good, high-quality evidence-based report is a drop in the ocean compared to the price of failure.' Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Despite the hard work of staff, too many women are experiencing unacceptable maternity care and families continue to be let down by the NHS when they need us most. 'This rapid national investigation must mark a line in the sand for maternity care – setting out one set of clear actions for NHS leaders to ensure high quality care for all. 'Transparency will be key to understanding variation and fixing poor care – by shining a spotlight on the areas of greatest failure we can hold failing trusts to account. 'Each year, over half a million babies are born under our care and maternity safety rightly impacts public trust in the NHS – so we must act immediately to improve outcomes for the benefit of mothers, babies, families and staff.' The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said maternity services are 'at, or even beyond, breaking point'. RCM chief executive Gill Walton said: 'Every woman and family should leave maternity and neonatal services whole, happy and healthy. 'Yet we know that, for far too many, that isn't their experience. 'Systemic failings and a lack of attention to the warning signs have let those families down and let down the hardworking staff who are trying so hard to provide the care they deserve. 'Everyone involved in maternity services: the midwifery community, obstetricians, anaesthetists, sonographers and, of course, the women and families in their care; knows that maternity services are at, or even beyond, breaking point. 'This renewed focus and commitment by the Health Secretary to deliver change is welcome, and we will do everything we can to support him in doing so.' Professor Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG, said: 'The maternity workforce is on its knees, with many now leaving the profession.' She said that 'for years, maternity units have had too few staff, too little time for training and lacked modern equipment and facilities, resulting in women and babies being harmed.' She urged the Government to 'not to lose sight of funding and workforce shortages within this'.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Asian women called ‘divas' by NHS staff when asking for pain relief
Asian women have been referred to as 'divas' by NHS staff when they have asked for pain relief in childbirth, while black mothers have been expected to cope because they are 'strong', Wes Streeting has said. The Health Secretary said he was determined to deal with inequalities and racism in the health service as he launched a national investigation into NHS maternity services. He pointed to data showing that babies of black ethnicity are twice as likely to be stillborn than babies of white ethnicity, and black women are two to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women. He said he had been 'stunned' by language used against black and Asian mothers in maternity and neonatal units. 'We've got a lot of work to do not just on health inequalities, but on racism and discrimination in maternity care,' he said. 'I've been really stunned by some of the language that women have heard during the course of their own care: one mother saying that she'd been denied pain relief medication because they thought she was a 'strong black woman', another describing Asian mothers referred to as 'divas' when they asked for pain relief. 'I'm almost sat there in a state of disbelief, because what you hear is so shocking, you think this can't possibly be true. 'And then you look at the evidence, and you see that what they have been through, is exactly as they describe.' The national investigation will look at all aspects of maternity care in England after several high-profile scandals found hundreds of babies have died or been left disabled due to poor care.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Assisted dying: BMA says patients should meet end-of-life care doctor first
Terminally ill people who want help to die should have face-to-face reviews with a specialist end-of-life doctor in an effort to detect coercion, medics have said. A motion passed by delegates at the British Medical Association's annual representative meeting (ARM) in Liverpool on Monday proposed a number of changes to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The proposed legislation for assisted dying cleared the Commons with a majority of 23 votes on Friday and will move to the House of Lords for further debate. As it stands, the Bill would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. British Medical Association (BMA) members have now called for patients to also have an in-person review with an independent palliative care doctor at the very start of the process. Speaking at the union's meeting, Dr Samuel Parker said: 'To ensure patient care needs have been met, and to help detect coercion, any patient requesting assisted dying should be encouraged to attend face-to-face reviews by an independent specialist palliative care doctor before the assisted dying pathway begins. 'This can also ensure whether the patient has received the best quality outcomes prior to preventing their assisted dying.' Dr Sarah Foot added: 'Choice is only a choice if it is an informed choice… this is about making sure that patients know their options, that have had access to palliative care. 'What is uncomfortable is patients choosing to die when they haven't had access to palliative care and don't know what's available to them. 'Our united voice will help influence this Bill in the House of Lords later this year, be proud and proactive and stand up for some of our most vulnerable patients. 'Those who are dying are physically and emotionally dependent on us in society to help safeguard them. They need to be safe and supported.' Dr Parker warned that palliative care in the UK is under-resourced, 'with few specialists, a post-Covid lottery and a shortage of funding'. He said patients deserve rapid access to high-quality care, adding that 'safety and patient welfare are essential'. Dr Foot said: 'Hospices and palliative care does not have enough funding. We cannot live in a society were we fully fund assisted dying, but we don't fully fund hospice and palliative care.' Last week, the Health Secretary – who was one of the most senior opponents of the legislation – warned that legalising assisted dying would take 'time and money' away from other parts of the NHS. Writing on his Facebook page, Wes Streeting said he could not ignore the concerns 'about the risks that come with this Bill' raised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Physicians, the Association for Palliative Medicine and charities representing under-privileged groups. The motion at the BMA ARM also affirmed the right of doctors to decline involvement in the service. An opt-out for all healthcare professionals is already built into the Bill. Speaking of the potential impact of assisted dying on the mental wellbeing of healthcare professionals, Dr Parker called on the BMA to ensure there are 'no subtle pressures' on doctors to participate, and 'no risk of professional sanction or discrimination'. Dr Andrew Green, chairman of the BMA's medical ethics committee, said: 'While the BMA is neutral on the issue of assisted dying – that is whether the law should change or not – we have been engaging with legislation to ensure doctors are represented on a number of key issues. 'This motion reaffirms, and strengthens, a number of the BMA's existing positions, including the right for doctors to decline to participate for any reason should the law change, and the need for any assisted dying service to be funded through new money and not at the expense of other parts of health and social care. 'We have been clear that any future assisted dying provision should be offered via a separate service that doctors must opt in to, and not part of any doctor's existing regular work. This service must come with additional funding, alongside further investment in palliative care, which we know has for too long been under-resourced, leading to huge variations in availability across the country. 'In discussions around Kim Leadbeater's Bill in England and Wales, which has now passed its final stages in the Commons, we have strongly opposed moves to ban doctors from raising the subject of assisted dying with patients, but have been clear that this must be part of a discussion around all options available. 'This motion expands on this, ensuring that patients who may be considering assisted dying are able to access information about all possible treatment and routes available to them.' Meanwhile, research has suggested that almost half (47%) of UK adults surveyed are worried they or their loved ones will have a painful or undignified death. The survey, carried out by Focaldata for King's College London (KCL), found 44% feel worried about the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK, although 46% said they feel confident services will be available when they or loved ones need them. Meanwhile, the polling found 61% of the 2,106 adults asked in March were supportive of the assisted dying Bill which is currently being considered by Parliament for England and Wales. KCL is launching The Impact Centre for Palliative and End-of- Life Care in autumn, a privately-run centre aiming to improve palliative care in the UK, and establish a framework for better care which it said could be applied around the world. The centre, funded by the Kirby Laing Foundation, will be the first of its kind in the UK and will work to 'create long term, systemic change in the delivery of care for dying people'. Centre lead Professor Katherine Sleeman, said: 'Although a wealth of evidence has now been generated on ways to improve experiences and outcomes for people approaching the end of life, too often this evidence is not used to improve care, meaning dying people suffer and those close to them are left to pick up the pieces. 'By closing the gap between evidence and practice, the Impact Centre for Palliative and End-of-Life Care will make a profound and lasting difference for people with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones, now and in the future.'
