A KEIGHLEY mum whose lungs have collapsed more than 40 times due to a rare condition is running the London Marathon in aid of the charity which supports her.

Andrea Jones will pound the streets of the capital on April 24 to raise money for LAM Action.

The 45-year-old will be joined on the gruelling 26.2-mile course by her sister, Sue Speight.

Together they hope to raise £4,000.

Only about 250 women in the UK are believed to be affected by LAM – full name lymphangioleiomyomatosis – which progressively destroys lung tissue and leads to breathing problems.

The condition, for which there is no cure, can also cause benign kidney tumours.

Andrea, a healthcare assistant on the acute medical unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, was diagnosed with LAM in 2002 although symptoms had first started to show when she was 17.

She took part in her first London Marathon, for the LAM Action charity, in 2006 – crossing the finishing line in just over six-and-a-half hours and raising £1,800.

"When I was diagnosed with the condition, running in the London Marathon seemed the obvious way to raise awareness – which personally I feel is equally important as funds," said the mother-of-two.

"I have this opinion due to the many missed opportunities to diagnose.

"Like so many LAM patients, I waited around 16 years to be diagnosed after many years of illness.

"I don’t blame anyone for this. In the late 1980s and early 90s very little was known about the condition, hence the need to educate individuals and professionals alike.

"I have no idea exactly how many pneumothorax – or collapsed lungs – I've had but I believe it is over 40, which have resulted in many hospital stays and procedures."

Andrea said that when a diagnosis was finally given, she felt a huge sense of relief although she also feared her life was virtually over.

"I was relieved to have an answer but according to information then I had very little time left to live – ten years to be exact," she said.

"This affected my self-esteem and I worried for my sons, the youngest of whom was around eight at the time.

"Taking part in the London Marathon was a turning point in my life. I was no longer going to be ruled by this illness. It may have won a few battles but I was going to win the war!

"My mental health changed after I completed the marathon. I felt I could do anything."

She uses an inhaler to manage the condition, but gets exhausted very easily and is susceptible to chest infections.

Andrea said she was delighted her sister was joining her this year.

"Sue has been by my side through everything and I will be honoured to have her by my side in London," she added.

Sue, 39, who also lives in Keighley, pays tribute to her sibling.

"Andrea is such a strong, positive person," she said.

"She just gets on with it and has never used the condition as an excuse to not do something.

"Andrea is an absolute inspiration to everybody who meets her.

"She has supported me and my daughters through some very hard times.

"She has always been there for us and I cannot express enough how proud I am to have her as my sister."

The duo has a joint fundraising page, at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/actforlamaction.

Visit lamaction.org for more details about the charity.