Clare Adams, a 45-year-old woman from Widnes, was given a life expectancy of just weeks or months after falling ill following a holiday to Turkey. Despite the devastating prognosis, she is fighting to prolong her life and hopes to receive a double lung transplant.
Adams fell ill in the summer of 2023 after a trip to Marmaris, Turkey, where she caught influenza. She never fully recovered, experiencing severe breathlessness and heart palpitations. Doctors initially suspected long COVID, but after multiple tests, she was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in November 2023.
Diagnosis and Prognosis
According to the NHS, pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare condition involving high blood pressure in the blood vessels supplying the lungs, which can damage the right side of the heart. Influenza does not directly cause it but can trigger complications. By May 2025, Adams was diagnosed with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a more severe and life-threatening form of pulmonary hypertension.
Adams was told she had only weeks or months to live. She refused to accept the prognosis, saying: "I thought, I'm not letting you decide when I die." She was placed on epoprostenol, a medication that widens blood vessels, and has seen slight improvements over the past year. She has also lost a stone in weight as part of her fight.
Living with the Condition
Adams is now in a wheelchair and requires oxygen 24/7. She described her struggle: "I am in a wheelchair and on oxygen 24/7, having to wear a mask, as my body doesn't hold oxygen at all." She remains determined, saying: "I didn't think I was a strong person, but to get through this last year...it's been a steady fight of continuously just laughing through everything, working on my mindset and watching what I eat."
One of the hardest aspects was being told she could not have children. Adams, who has a partner named Chris, said: "That was the hardest thing to deal with."
Writing a Children's Book
Adams is channeling her experience into writing a children's book titled My Auntie (Adventures with Auntie Cra Cra), which explains her condition to children. The idea came from her nephew, who broke his kneecap and suggested they write about how she looks different. Adams said: "It's really just a book to tell people that even though I look different, I can still do the same things as what a normal auntie can do."
The book aims to raise awareness about disability. Adams noted: "It hits children really hard when people are sick. My nieces and nephews have never once treated me any differently. They've just got on with everything that has been thrown our way. I think the children can teach the adults sometimes."
