57-mile swim completed by Winterton woman who has suffered 50 fractured bones
A WOMAN whose brittle bone disease has left her with more than 50 broken bones has completed a 57-mile swim for the hospital which treated her.
Ceriann Rush, 21, was diagnosed with the condition at birth and made regular visits to Sheffield Children's Hospital for treatment.
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Making a splash: Brittle bones disease sufferer Ceriann Rush in the pool
She has raised more than £1,000 with the swim, which covers the distance from her family home in Winterton to the hospital.
Ceriann, who now works for the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity, said: "I was a patient at the hospital from one year old until about a year ago, when I had to go to the Northern General instead.
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"Around that time, I came to work for the charity.
"Because of all of the time I spent at the hospital, it is incredibly important to me and I know about the brilliant work the hospital does."
Ceriann studied at university in Sheffield and now lives in the city but returns home to Winterton most weekends.
She began the challenge, at the Sport Sheffield pool, in August and has been swimming every day after work and at weekends for the past 12 weeks.
She said: "I am absolutely exhausted.
"People keep asking me if I do a lot of swimming but I don't and it is right down my list of things I like doing exercise-wise."
Ceriann said growing up with brittle bone disease had been tough.
She said: "When I reached more than 30 fractures, my family and I stopped counting but it's easily more than 50.
"The doctors and the rest of the staff got me on my feet and kept me there.
"As I was growing up, it was quite difficult because I was in and out of wheelchairs and that is hard, especially as a girl.
"It has been difficult in my school years and realising what my limitations are.
"I would like to go bungee jumping, rock climbing and things like that but I can't.
"Swimming was a great idea because it is the safest way for children with brittle bone disease to exercise."
And she said living with the condition presented daily challenges.
She said: "When I was 13, I broke my back by falling down the stairs and I have quite a lot of aches and pains.
"I have to be very careful and from September onwards, I wear Wellington boots because I can't chance slipping.
"It is a massive part of who I am and I have to think about how I am going to plan things on a day-to-day basis."
Nick Bishop, professor of paediatric bone disease at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, treated Ceriann.
He said: "I think what Ceriann is doing is marvellous and it's a pleasure to see her doing so incredibly well."
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