Cough the Distance
29/May/2007
Article from The Sunday Tasmanian
WALTER van Praag is planning to take his lungs on one last big adventure.
At 41 Mr Van Praag is one of the world's oldest cystic fibrosis sufferers and he is going to use his special status to raise awareness of the life-threatening disease.
In July, Mr Van Praag, of Devonport, and a small support crew will cycle from Paris to Istanbul, even though he has only 38 per cent of his lung function.
"It will be 4000km through 10 countries in 71 days and I'll need more than 1000 pills to make the distance," Mr Van Praag said. "But I want to show the world, especially those with CF and their parents, that we can still have a great quality of life if we choose to just go out and do exciting things.
"CF doesn't have to stop you from living."
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defective gene that tells the body to produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus, which builds up in the lungs and pancreas and can result in infections.
Tasmania has one of the highest incidences of CF in the world, with about one in 1650 affected by the disease.
"When I was born my parents were told I would be lucky to make my teens," Mr Van Praag said.
"Life expectancy has improved a lot since then, with the average now about 35."
Mr Van Praag attributes his survival to living in places with clean air and his dedication to exercise.
"A lot of cystic fibrosis sufferers won't exercise because they are embarrassed about the way they cough up mucus when they do," he said. "It's true that people are always asking you if you are all right, but I always just tell them I'm fine and have coughed this distance before."
Indeed, Coughing the Distance is the title of the documentary Mr Van Praag is planning to make about his epic cycling trip.
"It will be an inspirational DVD about cystic fibrosis, not one about death and transplants," he said.
"This will possibly be the world's first positive documentary about living with CF and it will show that even with a lung capacity of below 40 per cent there is still a lot of life to be lived."
Mr Van Praag had also hoped to raise funds for research but could not find sponsors.
"Funding is going to be the main challenge of this trip and the support team have sold many of their belongings to enable them to participate," he said.
"At the moment I've only got 38 per cent lung function and it's like breathing through a straw.
"My doctor has also told me I'll develop diabetes during the trip. But this is going to be my last major feat on these lungs.
"I think the next big adventure could be a lung transplant."
Mr Van Praag's trip will begin in Paris on July 28.
More information is at www.cofe.pledgepage.org
By GILL VOWLES , May 27 2007
Photo by CHRIS KIDD
