Acquisition International - Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2023 31 own lived experience of the disease. When he was just 11 years old, Gareth’s father passed away due to the condition. Gareth inherited a genetic risk and suffered a dissection himself in 2016, when his life was saved by aortic surgery at a leading specialist centre. Aged just 21, Haleema had an Aortic Dissection during pregnancy and extensive emergency surgery, which saved both her and her daughter. Gareth and Haleema are privileged to lead a large, dedicated team of volunteers. The charity recruits people with real lived experience of Aortic Dissection, who are willing to advocate for other patients and their families. As a result, many team members have health and family issues to attend to in their daily lives. This is not only understood but also actively supported by the organisation’s leadership team. The charity has therefore taken on a unique structure, with multiple team members assigned to each role. This provides organisational resilience and mutual support, creating a compassionate and caring culture. As a result of the incredible work it does, Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland has been awarded Best Specialist Patient Support Charity in the Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2023. In the coming months, the charity looks forward to its flagship annual conferences on Aortic Dissection Awareness Day, 19th September 2023, in the UK and Ireland. Each year, the opportunity to host these events is awarded to organisations that are doing great work in the field of Aortic Dissection. This year’s hosts are Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, and St, James’ Hospital, Dublin. Contact Details Contact: Gareth Owens Company: Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland Web Address: https://aorticdissectionawareness.org/ Since 2016, Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland has been dedicated to helping patients and families affected by Aortic Dissection, offering them support, raising awareness, reducing healthcare inequalities and driving research. The charity is entirely funded by generous donors who share its vision of improving the diagnosis, care and treatment of patients with the condition. Mar23623 he aorta is the body’s largest artery. It is responsible for transporting blood from the heart to the brain, limbs, and vital organs. When the wall of the aorta is weakened it can tear, causing blood to leak between the layers of the wall and force them apart. This is Aortic Dissection, a serious, life-threatening medical condition, which kills more people in the UK every year than road traffic accidents. Historically, almost everyone who suffered an Aortic Dissection would die. However, due to recent advancements in medicine and surgery, survival outcomes have improved. It is essential that affected individuals receive prompt diagnosis and are transferred to a specialist centre for treatment. Founded by a small group of survivors in 2016, Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland is now the national patient charity, serving as the voice of patients and families affected by the condition. It offers free membership to patients, relatives, carers, and healthcare professionals with an interest in Aortic Dissection. The charity has three main goals. Firstly, it strives to provide vital information and support for patients and families affected by Aortic Dissection, through resources such as the online Aortic Dissection Buddies UK support group and the definitive handbook to the condition: ‘Aortic Dissection: The Patient Guide.’ Secondly, the charity works with healthcare providers to improve diagnosis and treatment of the condition. To this end, it created and leads the life-saving, global, THINK AORTA campaign, which is raising awareness and improving diagnosis around the world. Since its launch in 2018, the THINK AORTA poster has been translated into the native language of 50% of the world’s population. Thirdly, Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland partners with researchers to bring new insights and discoveries that can improve future care for patients. It has successfully agreed on a set of national research priorities with the UK Department of Health, which are now being used to guide decision making on Aortic Dissection research proposals. Three years after Aortic Dissection Awareness began its work, data from the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland demonstrated a 29% increase in the number of patients having surgery for Type A Aortic Dissection, which is attributed to increased awareness as a result of the charity’s work. Aortic Dissection Awareness is led by patients, for patients. Chair and Vice-Chair, Gareth Owens and Haleema Saadia, both have their T Best Specialist Patient Support Charity 2023 - UK
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