NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 18

DATE:    

19th Nov. 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

Runners plea for marathon

Keen runners are being sought to take part in next year’s London marathon in aid of a Black Country support group.

The West Midlands Lupus Group provides advice and support for sufferers of the autoimmune disease and last year 12 people ran in the marathon to raise almost £12,000 for the group.

Group chairman Yvonne Norton, of Coseley, said this year the group had six places left to fill for next year’s race and the group hopes each runner will raise a minimum of £750.

Lupus is a genetic disease which can cause miscarriages and the destruction of kidneys, heart and lungs.

The West Midlands group sponsors a Lupus nurse, technician and researcher at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Anyone who would like to help can call Mrs Norton on 01902 498236.

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 37

DATE:    

11th Nov. 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

Cash Boost to help fight against disease

Cutting-edge research at a West Midlands university into a distressing auto-immune disease has been given a £25,000 cash boost.

LUPUS UK has given the grant to the University of Wolverhampton’s School of Applied Sciences for research into Hughes Syndrome, also known as “sticky blood”.

It is the second grant from the national charity in two years. In 2000 the university received a grant of £17,900 to help pay for a research assistant for immunology lecturer Dr Geoff Frampton. This second grant will also help with running costs for a PhD student. Dr Frampton said he was delighted with the second grant and was extremely grateful to LUPUS UK, which was set up to help Lupus sufferers with their condition which can destroy organs and cause miscarriages.

Hughes Syndrome which, like Lupus, is an auto-immune disease in which patients suffer clotting disorders and spontaneous abortions. It is thought that antibodies, which normally fight infections, begin to attack the body and damage normal tissues. The research will involve using newly developed, highly expensive technology called micro-array analysis. This will enable the experts to screen the entire genome, around 33,000 genes, to identify which genes are altered by these self-reactive antibodies found in the blood of these patients.

It is hoped the approach may help discover what is causing the disease and how to treat it. Dr. Frampton will be working with experts from Kings College and St Thomas’ Hospital in London to discuss the findings of the research.

Coseley woman Yvonne Norton, chairman of the West Midlands Lupus Group and vice-chair and trustee of LUPUS UK, said she was extremely pleased that the charity had been able to support Dr Frampton’s work.

The West Midlands Lupus Group is currently funding a Lupus nurse, technician and researcher at Queen Elizabeth and City Hospitals in Birmingham, and Mrs Norton, of Legge Lane, said in combination the projects spelled a very exciting time for Lupus research.

NEWSPAPER:  

SHROPSHIRE STAR

PAGE No.: ?

DATE:    

6th November 2002

REPORTER: 

Sarah Hart 

TITLE: 

When a body attacks itself

You have probably never heard of it, but worldwide, Lupus is a disease which strikes more people than multiple sclerosis or leukaemia.

It is a strange disease where the body, put simply, attacks itself.

The immune system produces too many anti-bodies which attack the healthy tissues of the body, ranging from the skin and blood vessels to joints and vital organs, in recurring bouts.

The chronic condition, which mainly attacks women during their childbearing years, is incurable. It can be fatal. However, with the right treatment, sufferers, of which there are 50,000 in the UK, can lead fairly normal lives. 

Anne Walker, former coroner’s officer for Telford & Wrekin, was diagnosed with Lupus two years ago yet, looking back, she believes she has suffered symptoms of the disease for as much as 30 years.

“I had allergies to insect bites, reactions to antibiotics and stomach pains in my 20s,” she says.

Three bouts of stomach pains – two in her 20s and one in her 40s – put her in hospital. But it was only when she suffered from recurring swollen eyes and joints that she suspected anything more serious.

Lupus can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. However, Anne’s GP at Clive medical practice had his suspicions because he had seen it 
before. 

Lupus is diagnosed through blood tests, various symptoms and other indicators.

There are varying manifestations of the disease and sufferers may have four or five of the following symptoms – fatigue, skin rash, kidney problems, ulcers, hair loss, joint and muscle pain, chest pain, weakness, fever, migraine, dry eyes, haematological disorders, seizures, depression and flu-like symptoms.

Women with Lupus have an increased chance of miscarriage.

It is estimated that one in 750 women suffer from Lupus in the UK, with black and Asian women at higher risk. About 10 per cent of sufferers are male.

Anne, who lives near Wem, had never heard of Lupus until she was diagnosed. Although it was a shock, it also marked a turning point.   It ensured she could get the treatment she needed and she could begin to learn how to live with the disease and carry on with her life.

“I still have all sorts of mixed emotions about it,” says the 50-year-old.

“Every morning I know it’s going to be there but my philosophy is if you hate it you will not be able to live with it. You will end up bitter and depressed.

“You have to learn to love it. It’s part of me so I have got to learn to live with it. I know it’s there, but I’m not going to let Lupus stop me.”

Anne is receiving treatment through steroids, malaria tablets and anti-inflammatory drugs, yet it is her refusal to give in to the disease which is the biggest key to enabling her life to go on as normally as possible.

“The mental approach has been the main thing because without that you’re going to stop at home. I have been determined to carry on working and to be fair West Mercia Police have been very good to me.”

Stress can be one of the causes of Lupus attacks and as the job of a coroner’s officer is emotionally stressful it was felt Anne’s health would benefit by relocating to a new post.

Anne, who joined the police service in 1971, at the age of 19, no works as the Neighbourhood Watch administrator for Telford and Wrekin.    It is a full-time post and she has refused to let Lupus get the better of her.

There may be days when she feels like she has the flu.

“You may feel awful in the morning but you realise you may feel good in the afternoon. And migraine may put me in bed one day, but tomorrow is another day.”

Anne’s husband, Mike, an inquiry officer at Shrewsbury Police Station, and the couple’s 23-year-old son Mark, who also joined the police force,  have raised almost £1,000 for the LUPUS UK charity. Anne adds: “The best thing that can happen is that you get diagnosed. Then you receive the treatment.”

Treatment can help control the disease and limit potential damage to the heart, lungs or brain.

For further information visit the LUPUS UK website at www.lupusuk.com or contact the West Midlands Lupus Group at www.westmidlandslupus.co.uk or by phoning (01902) 498236. A Lupus support group is available in Shropshire for regional group members.

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 18

ALL EDITIONS, various pages

DATE:    

5th November 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

MPs to lobby health bosses on research

MPs across the country are to lobby health chiefs after a Black Country woman called for more funding and research into an incurable disease. 

Yvonne Norton, chairman of the West Midlands Lupus Group, was the driving force behind an all-party Parliamentary group set up to raise awareness of the autoimmune disease.

At an annual general meeting of the group she called on MPs to back a campaign to gain Lupus nurses funded though primary care trusts (PCTs).

At present the Government does not fund Lupus staff through the NHS.  The two full-time and four part-time nurses that work in hospitals across the country are funded by LUPUS UK.

The West Midlands branch supports a Lupus nurse, technician and researcher at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Mrs Norton, of Legge Lane, Coseley, has been a Lupus sufferer since 1975 and the disease, which can destroy organs and cause miscarriages, has left her confined to a wheelchair.

She said a meeting of the all-party Parliamentary group last week had been a big success with MPs agreeing to lobby PCTs across the country for funds.

The trusts have their own budget for delivering health care and are able to employ staff and develop new services for patients.

Mrs Norton said the group had written to Health Minister Jacqui Smith but had been told there would be no direct NHS funding for nurses. “Although we have hit a brick wall with Jacqui Smith it is up to us to contact PCTs to see if they can help,” she said.

“We have prepared a standard letter for the MPs to contact their PCTs to see if we can get funding for Lupus nurses.

“There was a lot of support from the meeting.

“It was very constructive and I even had a couple of MPs approach me to
say they had recently had members of their families diagnosed with Lupus.”

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 12

ALL EDITIONS, various pages

DATE:    

25th October 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

Ann MP backing disease demand

Tory firebrand Ann Widdecombe has supported a call from a Black Country woman to raise awareness and fund research into an incurable genetic disease.

The former shadow home secretary has signed an early day Motion asking the Government to commend the work of LUPUS UK and make NHS funding available for research into the autoimmune disease.

It was handed in by MP Janet Dean, chairman of an all-party Lupus parliamentary group, which was set up just under two years ago at the suggestion of Coseley woman Yvonne Norton.

Mrs. Norton, of Legge Lane, is chairman of the West Midlands branch of LUPUS UK and wanted to highlight the disease, which can destroy organs and cause miscarriages. Around 50,000 people in the UK are sufferers.

The early day motion, which was handed in to Parliament last Tuesday,  has so far received 287 signatures of support from MPs. Alongside Ann Widdecombe, support has come from former actress and Labour MP Glenda Jackson, as well as Midlands MPs Ross Cranston, Debra Shipley, Dennis Turner, Dr. Richard Taylor, Adrian Bailey, Julie Kirkbride, Gisela Stuart and David Kidney. 

Mrs. Norton, who was diagnosed with Lupus in 1975 and has since been confined to a wheelchair, said she had been taken aback by the response. “We said we would be over the moon if we got 100 signatures supporting us, this is amazing,” she said. ”Our next step is to get a meeting with the health minister to try and find NHS funding for the Lupus nurses. It is ridiculous that we are having to hold jumble sales to fund nurses.”

LUPUS UK currently funds two full-time and four part-time Lupus nurses across the country. The West Midlands branch funds a Lupus nurse, technician and researcher at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.   The West Midlands group currently has four places for runners in next
year’s London Marathon. Contact Mrs. Norton on 01902 498236

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 27

ALL EDITIONS, various pages

DATE:    

18th October 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

Lupus campaign is backed

Almost 230 MPs have backed a call from a Black Country woman to raise awareness and fund research into an incurable genetic disease.

Yvonne Norton set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group just under two years ago to highlight Lupus, an auto-immune disease which currently affects around 50,000 people in Britain.

And on Tuesday, chairman of the of group MP Janet Dean handed in an Early Day Motion to Parliament asking for more NHS funding for research into the disease and commending the work of LUPUS UK.

Mrs. Norton, of Coseley, said just 24 hours after the Motion was presented in Parliament 225 MPs had added their support to it.   A number had also been seen on yesterday’s televised Prime Minister’s Question Time wearing light blue Lupus awareness ribbons that Mrs. Norton had sent to all MPs and a number of peers.

Mrs. Norton, who was diagnosed with Lupus in 1975 and has since been confined to a wheelchair, said the Early Day Motion and the ribbon request were part of Lupus Awareness Month.

Mrs. Norton, of Legge Lane, is also chairman of the West Midlands Lupus Group which funds a Lupus nurse, technician and researcher at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The local group is hosting an open meeting on Sunday at Warley Baptist Church Hall, Castle Road East, at 2.30pm. More information is available from Mrs. Norton on 01902 498236.

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 4

ALL EDITIONS, various pages

DATE:    

15th October 2002

REPORTER: 

Caroline Redley 

TITLE: 

Plea to MPs on disease

A group set up by a Black Country woman is calling on the
Government to help sufferers of an incurable disease.
The Chairman of the Lupus All-Party Parliamentary Group, 
MP Janet Dean, has put down a motion asking for more
NHS funding for research into the disease and commending
the work of LUPUS UK.

And tomorrow all MPs have been asked to wear a blue ribbon 
during Prime Ministers Question Time to highlight the disease
as part of Lupus Awareness Month.

Coseley woman Yvonne Norton, Chairman of the West Midlands 
Lupus Group, said she had sent out more than 700 ribbons to MPs
and was hoping those at tomorrow’s session would be wearing them.

NEWSPAPER:  

EXPRESS & STAR

Dudley Edition

PAGE No.: 7

DATE:    

10th October 2002

REPORTER: 

John Causer 

TITLE: 

Meeting to raise profile

The West Midlands Lupus Group is holding an Open Meeting in Warley as part of Lupus Awareness Month.      

Group spokeswoman Yvonne Norton said anyone was welcome at Warley Baptist Church Hall, Castle Road East, on October 20 at 2.30pm.   

Consultant Rheumatologist and senior lecturer at Queen Elizabeth and City Hospitals, Birmingham, Dr Caroline Gordon will be speaking about new treatments for the skin condition.  

During the month the Group will also be selling blue Lupus awareness ribbons for £1. Mrs. Norton said that the charity had a new website at www.westmidlandslupus.co.uk The Group also has five places for runners in next year’s London Marathon.   

Anyone interested should call on 01902 498236.

NEWSPAPER:  

COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH

PAGE No.: 4

DATE:    

10th October 2002

REPORTER: 

Karen Hambridge

TITLE: 

Group aims to inform about Lupus

A Group of Coventry and Warwickshire people who suffer from Lupus are hoping to put the spotlight on their little-known disease this month.

October has been chosen as Lupus Awareness Month and support groups across the country are holding events.

The West Midlands Lupus Group, which covers Coventry, has already organised an event.

Joyce Mountford, the Group’s Contact, yesterday visited the city’s Walsgrave Hospital to pass on information about the disease.

Mrs. Mountford, from Bulkington, has Lupus that affects her kidneys but the disease can strike anyone and any part of the body.

It is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system attacks normal tissue, resulting in inflammation.

And it can be mistaken for other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or MS.

Mrs. Mountford is planning to put up a display about Lupus at Bulkington Library this month.

She said: “We have always had Lupus Awareness Week, which was arranged for April, but the national organisation decided we would now have October as our awareness month.

“It gives us more opportunities for fund-raising events and to raise the profile of the condition.”