Tony and Sue Brierley have been tirelessly fundraising, campaigning and raising awareness since Sue’s diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis in 2016. Their long-term relationship with Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis has involved their children, friends and family members, especially Sue’s dad, Allan Glover.
Sadly, Allan died of pancreatic cancer in February 2023. The family are comforted by the fact that he was reunited with his wife Iris on Valentines Day.
APF is one of two charities each receiving a donation of £371 collected at Allan’s funeral who Tony describes as “a remarkable man; he was well known around town and was the centre of our family”.
Tony recalls the time when they had to share the news of Sue’s diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. Allan, like so many others, had never heard of the disease and was heartbroken when he realised it was fatal and that Sue’s quality of life would gradually deteriorate. They took time to explain all about the disease and that Sue was going to do her best to defy it. They agreed, as a family, to try and raise awareness and funds for their chosen charity, Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Almost £10,000 has been raised by this amazing family over the past eight years.
Allan got involved from the start and was there at their first fundraising event in 2016. He wore his APF wristband and, apart from replacing it with a new one occasionally, he never took it off until his final days. He came to every fundraising event Tony and Sue were involved in (and there were many), donating several hundred pounds of his own money to the fundraising cause.
Allan was all about family and, along with the rest of Tony and Sue’s relatives and friends, he knew that coming together to support those with illness in their lives was the most important thing he could do. “He knew this and taught us all about compassion and empathy”.
Tony recalls that whenever Allan was asked what the wristband meant he said, in his broadest Lancashire accent,
It’s what our Sue’s got, pulmonary fibrosis, and we are going to find a cure
Tony says “He also carried his APF tote bag wherever he went. It was such a part of him that it inevitably went into his coffin, along with his flat cap, when we sent him on his final journey.”
Allan believed in supporting each other, being there for one another and doing what we can to improve outcomes for those to come
We realise that funds raised in memory are very special. They help to support people affected by this disease and fund vital research so there is hope for new treatments that one day could one day put a stop to pulmonary fibrosis.
A loved one remembered can mean a better future for everyone in our community affected by pulmonary fibrosis. For more information about in memory fundraising please do have a look at the APF website.