Our wonderful member Louise Macdonald and her mum managed to get Finn Russel to donate his rugby shirt and sign it to help raise money for PORT charity. It was auctioned for incredible £1,500.
PORT sent out the annual research call on July 11th. We are hoping for numerous applications and hope to be in a position to fund several. The deadline is 2nd September for shortlisting in December, and then projects would commence in early 2023.
In order to fund one research project, PORT needs to raise £50,000. Could you, your place of work or someone you know help us to raise the vital funds for essential research?
We are very sad to share the news that our wonderful patron Sean Lock has passed away.
Sean attended our first PORT charity ball, as a guest of our Trustee, Dr Nigel Meadows. He then agreed to become our first patron, after seeing the work that we were doing.
Sean supported PORT charity on numerous occasions and organised charity comedy nights at The Comedy Club, Leicester Sqaure. He also appeared on a TV quiz show and donated all of his winnings to PORT.
We would all like to send our condolences to Sean’s family at this sad time. He was such a lovely man, who will be truly missed.
The themes of Rare Disease Day 2021 – rare is many, rare is strong, rare is proud.
This is our story representing these themes.
Pseudo Obstruction (CIPO) is a rare and potentially debilitating bowel motility disease where the complications can be life threatening. PORT (Pseudo Obstruction Research Trust) is a small charity that was founded in 2006. It was founded in the memory of a beautiful little girl named Emily; whose life was cruelly taken by complications relating to this disease. Amidst this awful loss two friends, Emily’s mum Sonia and friend Sue founded PORT. They wanted to create a legacy for Emily, to fund research to improve the lives of others with the condition, and to support people with the disease so sufferers and their families wouldn’t have to go through the journey alone. Their initial determination to do something positive lives on in PORT today. PORT has a flourishing Facebook group. Although the disease is rare, many come together as a community, supporting one another and offering invaluable advice from lived experience. The closed Facebook support group really is an example of rare is many at its finest. People come together, of all different ages, parents with babies suffering from the condition, to adult children whose parents suffer with the disease, as well as many seeking personal advice too. From a small group that started in Essex, PORT now offers support to those all over the UK, and internationally too. It’s a forum to support each other through the difficult times, but also to celebrate the good.
PORT has also demonstrated time and time again rare is strong. The initial aim to fund research into this rare disease, still remains at the heart of the charity. Sonia and Sue showed incredible strength when they established PORT, and that continues today. Despite our families going through huge amounts, on a daily basis, the fundraising efforts have been and continue to be phenomenal. Right now, one of our trustees who has a son, Charlie, with the disease, has been intensively training for the London Marathon 2021. He had barely run before, but his determination to accomplish this challenge is nothing short of inspiring. His drive to complete the task has been matched by his fundraising efforts and the support of his wider friends and family, who know Charlie and what he and the family have to endure with the disease day in day out.
Rare is strong is lived out on a daily basis by all the adults and children with this disease. Getting up in the morning, and going about one’s day, whilst having to contend with severe pain, sickness and the countless medical procedures and appliances such as intravenous feeding, stoma bags and tubes, all demonstrate rare is strong. Not many people have to train to be nurses to receive their nutrition, or administer nutrition to their loved ones, or to be vigilant for the signs of sepsis due to having a central line into their bloodstream, but this is daily life for many sufferers of CIPO. And at the helm of PORT is the Chair Sue Stewart, who works tirelessly, with compassion and strength, to keep PORT going – rare is strong!
PORT might be a small charity run solely by volunteers, but the impact it has made and continues to make is undeniable. Over £750,000 has gone towards research. This is research that would not have gone ahead if PORT did not exist. This is just a glimpse into all the work that goes on behind the scenes for the research to happen. All the links and relationships that have been forged and all the research that has been scrutinised before being funded. For this we at PORT are extremely proud. We are proud of all that PORT has achieved, all the people that have been given hope, advice and information right through their journeys, from before their diagnosis right through to living with the disease. We are extremely proud of the amazing legacy that has been created in Emily’s memory, and all those that have gained strength through PORT.
PORT really epitomise rare is many, rare is strong and rare is proud and the following testimonials from members substantiate this too.
‘This charity has been an invaluable support platform, providing not only incredible contributions to research and treatments, but also providing sufferers and families with a voice.’
‘One of the biggest things for me is PORT has given me hope that one day a cure will be found, it gives me comfort that I’m not alone in this battle and it’s given me support and friendship when I’m feeling alone and isolated.’
‘PORT’s efforts provide hope that people living with these conditions might have a better future.’
‘Sharing stories, advice and well wishes with others is invaluable when you have a family member with a rare and debilitating illness.’
During Feeding Tube Awareness Week, we posted awareness posts on our social media accounts-Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. For many with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction feeding tubes are one aspect of managing their condition. There are however many other reasons why people may need a feeding tube. We hope through the posting and sharing of our posts we helped to spread knowledge around this issue, and especially how people with CIPO are affected.
The first edition of PORT Digest is now finished and has been uploaded to our website. The newsletter contains lots of information, so please do have a read. There are articles about our current research projects and future projects in the pipeline too. Two members stories are also featured, and these share what it is like to live with CIPO. There are also articles about fundraising activities organised by and for PORT. The final page contains all the contact details and information about the charity as well as some useful tips.
Click here to go the patients section and read our newsletter online
Facebook donations have been a very useful way for PORT to raise money. Since PORT signed up to Facebook payments, at the end of November, we have raised £484.36. This is through people using the donate button and creating birthday fundraisers. This is a fantastic amount, in such a short space of time, so please do continue to support our charity in these ways!
PORT received a monetary donation, of £100, from The Bakemore Foundation. This will go towards printing our information booklets. We are in the process off updating these booklets. The information booklets are sent across the country to prospective sufferers, and medical professionals. They contain a lot of useful information from explaining how the gut works, and how that differs in pseudo obstruction, to symptoms and treatment options, as well as details about the charity itself, the support provided and the research funded.
Many thanks to Aranee Navaratnam for organising a Birthday Fundraiser, through Facebook. She raised an amazing £150 for PORT Charity. Thank you so much for your continued SupPORT Aranee. This was our first birthday fundraiser, and as such a simple way to raise money we hope many more will follow!
PORT members have given their pictures, which will be used for a charity single. The funds for the single will go to PORT. This is a novel and exciting fundraising venture, which will not only raise vital funds for research into CIPO, it will also help to raise awareness into the rare yet debilitating condition, which many people know little or nothing about.