A WEST Belfast woman has embarked on a 300 kilometres walking challenge to raise awareness of deadly condition Sepsis.
Noreen Carlin from Andersonstown lost her sister Mairead Donnelly to the condition in November 2019, aged just 60 years of age.
Sepsis kills around 50,000 people every year in the UK, and takes more lives than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined worldwide.
Noreen began walking 300 kilometres on December 26 and had planned to finish on February 24 to mark her 60th birthday but is on course to finish earlier with a special walk in Ballycastle where her sister lived.
"I decided to take on the challenge in memory of my beloved sister Mairead who passed away with Sepsis," she explained. "It is all about raising awareness around Sepsis.
"Sepsis is a common and potentially life-threatening condition triggered by an infection which causes the body’s immune system to go into overdrive, and if it not treated quickly, it can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
"Some symptoms are loss of consciousness, severe breathlessness, high temperature (fever) or low body temperature, a change in mental state – like confusion or disorientation, slurred speech, cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.
"I want to make more people aware of this condition.
"The walks are going great. I have passed the halfway mark in my challenge, despite a fractured elbow.
"I aim to complete the challenge by February 18, which is ahead of my schedule.
"Mairead's family down in Ballycastle are going to host the final walk and it will be very fitting to finish there."
Walks take place Monday-Friday at 6pm, 10am Saturdays and 10.30am Sundays from Andersonstown Leisure Centre. Everyone is welcome to come along and walk.
For the final walk in Ballycastle on Saturday, February 18, a bus will leave Belfast at 11am. If interested, please contact Eileen on 07865960491.
You can also donate to Noreen's Go Fund Me page online here.
