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Woman Given Months to Live After Holiday Illness
22 Jun
Summary
- Clare Adams caught the flu during a holiday in Turkey in summer 2023.
- She was diagnosed with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease in May 2025.
- Adams is now writing a children's book about living with her condition.
Clare Adams, a 45-year-old woman from Widnes, Cheshire, received a life-altering diagnosis after contracting influenza during a holiday in Marmaris, Turkey, in the summer of 2023. Following her return, she experienced severe breathing difficulties and other symptoms that baffled doctors for months.
Initially treated for influenza and later suspected of having long COVID, Clare's condition remained undiagnosed until November 2023, when she was told she had pulmonary arterial hypertension. This condition involves high blood pressure in lung blood vessels and can damage the heart.
By May 2025, Clare received a further, more serious diagnosis of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a rare and life-threatening form of pulmonary hypertension. Doctors provided a prognosis of only a few weeks to months remaining.
Despite the devastating news, Clare refused to accept the limited timeline and is now pursuing a double lung transplant. She is undergoing treatment with epoprostenol and is determined to extend her life, documenting her journey and advocating for understanding through a children's book.
