DEBRA - Meeting 22/02/16

Irvine Seagate Rotary’s speakers on Monday were Sophie Mallon and Jane Hamilton from Debra, the charity that supports families and children with EB.  EB is a distressing incurable inherited skin problem that affects around 500 children and young people in Scotland with varying degrees of severity.  It is a genetic protein problem that results in the skin layers not properly bonding together.

This means that even minor friction or contact can cause wounds that have to be bandaged daily to protect them and are slow to heal.  Debra provides help and support facilities for sufferers and their families, and worldwide they are funding coordinated research at some of the top universities, including Dundee, to try to find a treatment for the condition.  They have a number of charity shops in Scotland, including in Irvine and Saltcoats, and welcome donations including furniture.  There were a number of questions reflecting the traumatic nature of the condition, and a Vote of Thanks was proposed by Alex McConnell