Clare Adams, 45, from Widnes, was diagnosed with an incurable lung condition after falling ill following a holiday to Marmaris, Turkey, in summer 2023. She initially caught influenza while abroad and never fully recovered, experiencing severe breathlessness and heart palpitations.
Diagnosis and Disease
After multiple tests, doctors diagnosed Clare with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in November 2023. According to the NHS, PAH is high blood pressure in the lung's blood vessels, a rare condition that can damage the right side of the heart. Influenza does not directly cause PAH but can trigger lung complications.
Clare told the ECHO: "I went on holiday to Turkey and caught influenza. After coming back, my breathing was really bad. I couldn't breathe at all. I couldn't take two steps without being really breathless." She spent a week in hospital and was later told she might have long COVID.
Progression to PVOD
By May 2025, Clare's condition worsened, and she was diagnosed with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a rare and life-threatening form of pulmonary hypertension. Doctors gave her a life expectancy of weeks to months. Clare refused to accept the prognosis: "I just refused point blank. I thought, I'm not letting you decide when I die."
After consulting a specialist, she began treatment with epoprostenol, a medication that widens blood vessels. She now hopes for a double lung transplant to prolong her life. Clare said: "We have had very slight improvements over the last 12 months and along with a massive one stone loss, I'm fighting my way to get a double lung transplant."
Daily Life and Book
Clare is now in a wheelchair and requires oxygen 24/7, wearing a mask as her body cannot retain oxygen. She has written a children's book titled My Auntie (Adventures with Auntie Cra Cra) to explain her condition and raise awareness about disability. The book was inspired by her nephew, who broke his kneecap and helped write a story about their time together.
Clare said: "One of my nephews broke his kneecap playing rugby. To keep him occupied, I said to him, 'come on, we'll write a book together.' So the first book we wrote was called Auntie Cra Cra and Frankie Go to the Park. Then he said, 'why don't we talk about the way that you look?' So that's where my auntie book comes from."
She added: "It hits children really hard when people are sick. My nieces and nephews have never once treated me any differently. I think the children can teach the adults sometimes."
My Auntie (Adventures with Auntie Cra Cra) is available on Amazon.
