65 Roses Breakfast BBQ

65 Roses Breakfast BBQ

A team of second year JCU medical students will be breathing deeply for those who can’t by running in the 65 Roses Challenge for cystic fibrosis in Townsville next Sunday (May 25).

The students learnt about cystic fibrosis in their respiratory medicine classes and were inspired to take up the cause.

Mallory Van Wensveen, Renee Guesnon, Eliza Billington, Madeleine Grace Storey and Elicia Tyerman will run 65 km (relay style) on treadmills at Zoo Health and Fitness, to raise not only funds but much needed awareness of this debilitating condition.

Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, is a serious genetic condition affecting the respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems.

People with CF develop an abnormally large amount of excessively thick and sticky mucus within the lungs, airways and the digestive system. The mucus decreases the release and production of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and traps bacteria in the lungs resulting in recurrent infections which lead to irreversible damage.

Lung failure is the major cause of death for someone with CF.

CF is the most common recessive genetic condition, and affects 1 in 2500 Australian children born each year, and at present there is no cure.

There are 29 children affected by Cystic Fibrosis in the Townsville region.

To raise funds to support CF research, the JCU team will be holding a breakfast BBQ on Wednesday 21^st May.

The team is also encouraging everyone to wear red and make a gold coin donation. All funds raised support Cystic Fibrosis Australia.

Staff, students and members of the community are urged to come along and support this great cause.

Details:

Date: Wednesday 21 ^st May 2014.

Time: 7.15am – 9.30am

Location: Outside Building 45 – Medical Lecture Theatre

JCU Media Liaison: Caroline Kaurila, tel: (07) 4781 4586 or 0437 028 175

Issued May 16, 2014