Breath of Life Past Campaigns

Below are outlines of some of the projects that Breath of Life have supported in recent years,

Baby Breathing Monitors

Breath of life provided breathing monitors so that children with respiratory problems who had been in Paediatric Intensive Care could go home from hospital with the equipment they need to keep them safe.

The equipment isused for families of babies and children who have been very ill with breathing problems, (often needing resuscitation, tracheotomy or due to premature birth) but are now well enough to go home.  However, they still need the support of equipment at home, either to help them breathe or to monitor that their breathing is stable.

The equipment enables doctors to have a clearer picture of the underlying medical issues when a baby presents with respiratory concerns.  With the monitor at home oxygen levels can be checked closely so that parents know when their child needs to be taken in to hospital.

Baby Sleep Apnoea monitors

Breath of Life has also provided monitors that raise an alarm when a baby stops breathing for longer than 20 seconds. This equipment is loaned to parents after the tragedy of losing a previous baby through cot death.

The equipment helps to keep their new baby safe and gives the parents some piece of mind in the critical first few months of a baby’s life. .

Nitrous Oxide monitor

Breath of Life has purchased lightweight portable Nitric Oxide monitors for paediatric and adult use, often in community clinics.

The original monitors the charity purchased were the first to be used in a clinical setting in the UK. The Nitric Oxide analyser measures the amount of inflammation in the airways by analysing the tiny amounts of nitric oxide gas that a patient with asthma exhales.  The advantages are ease of use by patients, especially children, and much greater accuracy of diagnosis and treatment leading to improved management of the condition.

Gym placements for Cystic Fibrosis patients

Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable condition that has a severe impact on people’s lives. Regular exercise is an important component in helping people maintain a good quality of life and can have a major impact upon their prognosis and well being. Breath of Life has funded one year gym placements for young adults, at a time in their lives when this would be unaffordable and as a contribution to their health and wellbeing.

Leisure Equipment for Cystic Fibrosis patients

People with Cystic Fibrosis often spend long periods in hospital, in virtual isolation as they are susceptible to a range of illnesses and conditions. Breath of Life was able to provide equipment to help make life a little more homely. The charity funded equipment such as televisions, computers, DVD players and games. 

Spectrometer for research

Spirometers

Spirometers measure the volume and function of the lungs and are the principle tool used in the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. Breath of life has purchased spirometers for use in the hospital and within community settings such as clinics, for adults and young people.

Pulse Oximeters

Pulse oximeters measure the level of oxygen saturation in a patients blood.

Portable oximeters are cheap items of equipment, from just £200, but they allow key medical staff to get immediate information.

Bariatric Hoist

Patients who weigh over 25 stone often suffer from sleep apnoea or other respiratory conditions brought about or exacerbated by their weight. Moving a patient manually needs up to six people. Breath of Life purchased a hoist so that patients could be moved by just two staff members.

It can lift patients with dignity and safety and additionally can also be used to weigh the patients, which enables their medication doses to be accurately determined. 

This donation was made possible by a £7000 grant from the BBC Radio Stoke RASCAL Appeal, supported by listeners in North Staffordshire.

Stop Watches

Breath of Life was able to provide 64 stop watches for use by patients taking part in pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. These are medically supervised,  structured exercises for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Studies show these programmes make a dramatic difference to people’s lives, improving the body’s capacity to carry oxygen and enabling them to walk much further, and helps to address anxiety and depression.

Carbon Dioxide Monitor

Breath of Life purchased a Carbon Dioxide Monitor, which will monitor patients’ blood carbon dioxide in a non-invasive way via an ear clip.

Previously this had only been possible by taking repeated blood samples, often every hour, which can be painful and disruptive.

Workers at the Dudson sites in Tunstall and Burslem, who make ceramic tableware for the hotel and airline business, made Breath of Life their Charity of the Year 2005 and raised £9,250 to buy the monitor.

Lung function testing and diagnosis station

Dudson Ltd, H&R Johnson Tiles Ltd and Browns Distribution undertook a year long fundrasing campaign and raised  £22,000  to purchase a fully mobile and complete lung function testing and diagnosis station which is equipped with its own computer.  The £22,000 ‘Spiro Air’ unit is being used at the Guy Hilton Research and Development Centre at the Hartshill site of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire to study and to learn more about many important chest diseases in children and adults.

Asthma Research

Breath of Life funded research into the inherited characteristics (genes) of asthma. The research was leading in its field and has helped in the understanding of how to identify people who are particularly prone to bronchial asthma, and therefore provide effective screening and early intervention.

Information Leaflets

Breath of Life provided the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with  information leaflets for use by patients with lung problems.

Respiratory staff needed new leaflets which would give patients information about the equipment they use or procedures they are about to undergo. The leaflets cover use of a nebuliser, preparing for a pleural biopsy and using a chest drain.