Ian goes the extra mile for PEM Friends
- claire3366
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Supporter, Ian, is stepping out in style this summer, as he raises much-needed funds for our charity.
After being diagnosed with Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid in June 2020, Ian came across our charity - a moment he describes as: "...a real turning point' in his journey.
On 25 July, Ian will be taking on the South West Coast 50 Ultra Challenge and is aiming to raise £600 to help us continue our work.
He said: "The challenge starts in the shadows of Dunster Castle. The 50km loop takes in the first Minehead section of the famous costal path, then heads over Exmoor with ups and downs, magnificent views, and over 1,600 metres of climb - the equivalent to 533 flights of stairs. It will be tough, but nothing to how some pemphigoid and pemphigus patients suffer."
Ian, who ran his first ultra marathon in 2021, is now taking on this fifth challenge at the age of 65. He said: "I am a regular at parkrun and find that running is good for my physical and mental wellbeing.
"Running is a big part of my life and I can still post a decent time despite the fatigue from taking medications, although on bad days it becomes extremely challenging."
"When the consultant explained to me that there was no cure (for mucous membrane pemphigoid), but treatment could control some of the effects of the disease, which in my case included blisters to the scalp, chest, neck, mouth and other sensitive areas, I left the hospital and wanted to find out more information. I wanted to answer all the questions flashing around my brain, but I found that good, reliable sources of information were limited.
"After a year of research I stumbled across the website of PEM Friends, which was a real turning point for me. On their logo they had four words which still stand true - "You are not alone" - and, to be honest, until I found the group I did feel alone!"
To support Ian in raising funds so that we can continue to make sure that even more people with pemphigoid and pemphigus are not alone, please visit his fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ian-boam-7.
We're really grateful to Ian for all his amazing support and wish him well with the challenge.
If you have an idea about how you could raise funds for our charity too, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch!
