On the morning of Sunday, July 31, local woman and deputy principal of Yass High, Ms Ruth Raich, will brave the Canberra cold with her 16-year-old daughter, Angela, to participate in the fifth annual Santa Speedo Shuffle around Lake Burley Griffin.
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The event aims to raise urgently needed funds for Cystic Fibrosis ACT (CFACT), which supports sufferers and their families in managing this potentially life-threatening condition and this is something Ruth has first-hand experience with. Both of her children, Angela and her 12-year-old brother Nick, have Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
“We’ve been quite lucky so far in that neither of our kids are experiencing extreme symptoms. Angela’s even been doing athletics events and Nick’s a keen soccer player, but it’s not like that for everyone and we want to help people who are struggling,” Ruth says.
CF is a genetic condition that has no cure and mainly affects the lungs, which fill with thick sticky mucus where bacteria breed, eventually causing death by lung failure if no transplant can be found.
To keep this from happening for as long as possible, a person with Cystic Fibrosis needs constant, costly medical treatment
In Australia, one baby is born with CF every four days, and their average lifespan is just 37 years.
The idea of the run, which is done in speedos, singlet and red Santa hat, came from CFACT Executive Officer Heidi Prowse, whose husband Andrew is battling the condition.
“She’s the brains behind it, she came up with this and has been out there tirelessly fighting for people with CF,” Ruth said.
The event raises money using an online platform called “everydayhero”, through which people can conveniently make contributions by methods including credit card and BPAY, and the goal of each competitor or team is to raise $2,000.
So far, through friends and family, Ruth’s “Team Riach” has raised over $1,700 but more is always needed, with CF sufferers requiring up to 40 pills and three hours of airway clearance each day.
Although both of Ruth’s children are being treated with a new drug, and doing well, it does not work for everyone, and more funding will help to extend the research that may eventually lead to a universal cure for this debilitating condition.
To contribute to “Team Riach”, visit: 6500santa16.everydayhero.com/au/team-riach, or to find out more about Cystic Fibrosis ACT, see: www.cysticfibrosis.org.au/act.
