PKD Charity (www.pkdcharity.org.uk)
This year our chosen national charity is going to be PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Charity. We have chosen PKD as it gives very important support to children and adults suffering from this not particularly well known and serious illness.
There are 2 different types of polycystic kidney disease. One type manifests itself during pregnancy when babies are found to have swollen kidneys on ultrasound scanning. More severely affected babies get unwell soon after birth. One in three babies with this illness die prior to the first four weeks of life due to underdeveloped lungs.
The second type of PKD tends to affect people in their adult life. Kidney function gradually worsens due to lots of cysts developing. By the age of sixty 50% of sufferers will have developed kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplants. Other body organs can be affected as cysts can develop in the blood vessels of the brain, pancreas and liver.
PKD provides information and help to sufferers and their families and supports valuable research into potential treatments.
St. Mary’s Hospice, Ulverston (www.stmaryshospice.org.uk)
At Classics over Sands car show we always like to support a local charity and this year we have chosen St. Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston. We are sure many of you are already familiar with the work St. Mary’s Hospice does.
St. Mary’s provides in patient care as well as outpatient facilities for clients with life shortening illnesses or long term conditions. The ‘Hospice at Home team’ can support patients who wish to stay in their own homes when their illness advances. Help and advice is provided to patients and their families. Health care professionals can contact specialist clinicians for information. The hospice runs educational courses for volunteers, patients and doctors.
Sadly the hospice only receives fairly limited NHS funding so has to heavily rely on generous donations from the public to be able to continue their valuable work.
Classics over sands 