When Connor Armstrong was diagnosed with autoimmune liver disease at the age of 15, he wasn’t sure what the future held for him. Now the 22-year-old from Oldbury is fit and active and will be running the Birmingham Black Country Half Marathon (July 4) to raise funds for the charity who helped him come to terms with his diagnosis.
“Being told at 15 that I had a chronic liver disease was obviously something of a shock,” says Connor, a trainee CNC operator. “I had no idea what to expect or how bad it could get. I was missing school for hospital appointments when my exams were looming and the side effects from the medicines affected my confidence both at school and in life generally.
“Fortunately, I was put in touch with Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (now merged with the British Liver Trust) and the team there had plenty of information and advice on how to cope. I’m deeply grateful for how they helped me and for their work in raising awareness and understanding of liver disease. Many people are completely unaware of the challenges faced by those of us who live with these conditions, and I felt that the time was right to help change that and to give something back.
“I’m fortunate that my condition is now under control and my health is good. I play football for Boldmere St Michaels every Saturday and I also enjoy running. I’ve just done one half marathon to date, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to beat my time from that (one hour 45 minutes) and to raise funds and awareness for a cause which is incredibly personal to me.”
Dan Painter Public Fundraising Manager at British Liver Trust commented: “As a charity, we are leading the fight against liver disease and liver cancer. We reach over two million people each year; providing information and support to patients and families and providing vital advice to help people improve their liver health. But there is still so much to be done. Liver disease is the only major disease in the UK where death rates are rising, and we want to change that. It’s brilliant that Connor is now fit and well enough to take on this challenge for us. We’re very grateful for his support and wish him all the best for the day.”
You can support Connor at Connor Armstrong is fundraising for British Liver Trust
