FUNDRAISING FAYRE AT THE THOMAS ARMS

Local charity fundraiser Angela Medway-Smith is holding a fayre at The Thomas Arms, Llanelli on Saturday, 14th October 2017.
The event will support The Dylan O’Brien Foundation to provide 10 sleep apnoea machines to the paediatric ward at Glangwili Hospital.
Angela said ‘I am incredibly touched by the O’Brien family’s campaign. After losing their precious son, they are working to raise awareness and prevent this from happening to other families. I want to help them to do that’.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition that affects the airway and how we breathe.

Usually, each time we breathe in, air passes through the nose, where it is filtered, warmed and moistened. It then travels down the upper airway to the lungs. The oxygen contained in the air is absorbed into the bloodstream in the lungs and is transported to where it is needed in the body.
When we are asleep, the muscles in the body naturally relax and become floppy. In some people this can cause the upper airway to fall in on itself, making breathing difficult. This can lead to bigger and bigger efforts to breathe, which can narrow the airway further. At this stage, the body senses the airway problem and the person wakes up briefly.

This returns the airway to normal again, allowing them to breathe, and the person goes back to sleep. This process of periods of struggling to breathe, followed by waking briefly, may happen many times during the night. Generally the person recalls very few, if any, of these events in the morning. This condition is called obstructive sleep apnoea.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is common in both adults and children. People with some conditions (obesity, sickle cell disease, Downs syndrome and other genetic conditions) may have a higher likelihood of obstructive sleep apnoea, but exact figures are not known.

‘The O’Brien’s family target is to provide machines that fit under a child’s sheet and sound an alarm to alert parents or carers to any changes in a child’s breathing; I am hopeful that our community will pull together to provide these machines for our local hospital’ said Angela.
The event, while billed as a Psychic Fayre, is a mini version of the successful Spiritual & Holistic Festival that took place at the Selwyn Samuel Centre in September. There will be a range of taster holistic therapies and a lovely craft market.

Michael O’Brien said ‘I am very excited about this event and so grateful to the people of Llanelli’.

Tickets are just £2 and available now from The Thomas Arms; people who buy advance tickets can exchange these for a free raffle ticket.
‘Your £2 may save the life of a local child; please come along and support us. I am so grateful for the support of The Thomas Arms in hosting this event.’’ said Angela.

The event can be found online at http://www.cariadspiritual.com/psychic-fayres and on Facebook @cariadspiritual
More information on The Dylan O’Brien Foundation can be found at: http://www.thedylanobrienfoundation.com/