Pernicious Anaemia Society's New Offices

Earlier in the summer I had the pleasure of opening the new offices of the Pernicious Anaemia Society (PAS) along with Dr. Vinod Devalia, Consultant Haematologist at the Princess of Wales Hospital.

PAS was formed in March 2005 and based at the home of the Chair Martyn Hooper, later moving into the Old Fire Station in Aberkenfig and now to their latest swish new offices at the top of Brackla House in the centre of Bridgend.

The new ruling that landlords now have to pay business rates on vacant offices unless they provide free accommodation to a charity means PAS has a super new office.

From this new base with two staff and a team of volunteers who are all sufferers, they continue their aim to research into the causes and treatment of Pernicious Anaemia (PA).

There is no cure for PA and to have the condition recognised and diagnosed is still luck of the draw for many sufferers. PA shares similar symptoms to other medical conditions and a simple blood test can determine how much B12 is in your blood and if you have this relatively common, but extremely debilitating disease. PA affects 1 in 1000 people over 60 and there is a 30% chance that the disease can be inherited and many don’t know they have the illness.

PAS has now become an international charity and has 5,000 members worldwide and offers information, help and support through their website at www.pernicious-anaemia-society.org