Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, learned more about Interstital Lung Disease earlier today when she met with local campaigner, Gill Southwell from Wessex Interstital Lung Disease support Group (W.I.L.D).
W.I.L.D is a group that was set up in 2014 by local clinicians, patients and volunteers to provide information, support, collaboration and a voice to patients for Southampton, Portsmouth and the surrounding areas with Intersatial Lung Disease (ILD).
Gill's husband sadly died from ILD and she has joined the W.I.L.D. group to campaign for more information and support for ILD sufferers.
There are currently 15,000 people living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a form of ILD, in the UK and the number of people developing and dying of IPF in the UK is rising each year.
After the meeting Caroline said
"The work W.I.L.D does is so important in raising awareness of ILD. The support they provide is so valuable and often desperately needed when sufferers and their families face this illness"
The group holds regular meetings at Fleming Park Bowling Club in Eastleigh. To find out more information about W.I.L.D and the work they do visit www.wildsupport.co.uk.