A PR and marketing company has thrown its support behind a challenge which will see four men paddleboard 80 miles across shark-infested waters to raise worldwide awareness of a life-saving cystic fibrosis drug.
Next month, 41-year-old Marc Cotterill, who was born with cystic fibrosis, and three of his friends will paddleboard from Bimini in the Bahamas to mainland Florida in the ‘Crossing for CF’ challenge which will take at least 16 hours to complete.
The group, called Team NEON, has won the support from Parker Piredda PR & Marketing based in Marc’s hometown of Cheadle, which has become their headline sponsor.
Marc’s condition saw his lung function drop to just 29 per cent in 2019. It was so severe, he suffered a collapsed lung and was facing vascular surgery and longer-term the prospect of a lung transplant.
But after being granted access to a life-saving drug called Kaftrio, now available through the NHS, his lung function is back up to 76 per cent and he can comfortably run a 5k and is hitting the gym harder than he has in years.
Parker Piredda Director Tamsin Parker, who runs the firm with Eleanor Piredda, said: “The best part about our job is meeting people like Marc and helping tell their story. I’ve known Marc for a while now and have followed his journey closely.
“The word ‘inspirational’ can be overused sometimes but that’s not the case with Marc. What he has been through, what he has achieved and what he is planning to do is inspirational.
“He is using his story, to campaign for change, to make sure other people with Cystic Fibrosis have access to the drug that he has credited with saving his life and that should be applauded.
She added: “For us as a business, it is important to give something back, and as our business is in Cheadle, we wanted to support Marc, who is also from Cheadle, and his team as they embark on this epic challenge.”
Marc, pictured above, will be joined by friends Craig Stanway from Stone, Ryan Talbot from Biddulph and Pete Oakden from Edinburgh.
They are funding the trip themselves so any sponsorship for the endurance challenge, which starts on 25 June, can go straight to charity.
Money raised will be split between event organiser and charity Piper’s Angels Foundation and Vertex Save Us, which is campaigning for global access to the CF drugs that saved Marc’s life.
Marc said: “I want to thank Tamsin and Eleanor and Parker Piredda for all their support not just with the generous donation, but for all the help they’ve given in terms of getting our story out there. It’s vital that as a team we raise awareness of this life-saving drug to get access for all as not everyone is as lucky as I was.”
He added: “My health and quality of life have dramatically improved, but not everyone has a lifeline to this miracle drug and that’s why myself and my amazing mates jumped at the chance to embark on this challenge.”
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for other businesses wishing to show their support.
The team’s fundraising page can be found here.
