MP support for eczema in North Wales
 North Wales Liberal Democrat AM, Eleanor Burnham marked the launch of the week by visiting the Eczema Society’s stand at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital to lend her support for the work of the Society.
Eleanor, who has eczema, was delighted to meet with the Maelor dermatologists who provide a much in demand service and North Wales’ author Barbara James, who suffers from eczema and allergies and has recently published her travel autobiography Itching to Climb. The autobiography describes Barbara’s achievements from mountaineering, travelling to the Falkland Islands to gaining a Private Pilot’s Licence in Florida aged 50.
Eleanor said “I know from experience that eczema can be misunderstood and I believe much more needs to be done to improve understanding amongst people who do not have the condition. Such events as National Eczema week are very important in creating awareness of eczema and, hopefully will encourage those with the condition to find out more information from the National Eczema Society provide excellent services to help both suffers and their families.
Barbara James organised a total of three events in North Wales to mark National Eczema Week. Apart from Eleanor Burnham’s appearance at Maelor Hospital, NES Chief Executive Margaret Cox also joined Barbara at Glan Clwyd Hospital to raise awareness of the condition, while Alan Fred Jones, Assembly Member for Arfon, visited Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Itching to Climb
 A book by Bangor author, Barbara James aims to promote understanding of eczema and allergies. With inherited eczema and allergies, Barbara James disliked being different from her classmates but when introduced by her teacher to walking in Snowdonia, the severity of her eczema lessened and in 1964 she swapped her teaching career to become a full time mountaineering instructor and a mountain rescue first aider in North Wales.
Pictured above is Eleanor Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, who is at Barbara’s book signing at Waterstones in Chester. Eleanor Burnham commented that “Barbara’s life is an inspiration, she has travelled widely and taken up new challenges from travelling to the Falkland Islands to gaining a Private Pilot’s Licence in Florida. Her autobiography is an exciting account of her life but, importantly, increases the non-sufferers understanding of eczema and allergies and the lack of services available in North Wales. ”
Barbara revealed: “I decided to write “Itching to Climb” after a woman some years my senior told me ‘not to scratch’. I was in my sixties! For keen walkers who have never rock climbed, all who have travelled by plane but have never flown one and those who fear solo travel, whether to the distant Falkland Islands, the difficult to reach St Kilda or the popular island of Tenerife, I hope that my book will be an inspiration.”
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