Iron Man has a new mission in Glasgow

The 36-year-old suffers from haemochromatosis – which causes a build-up of iron in his body and can damage parts of the body such as the liver, joints, pancreas and heart if not treated.

He was diagnosed in June 2017 after suffering a range of seemingly unconnected symptoms, including exhaustion, chest, joint and head pains.

The policy officer hopes by dressing as Tony Stark’s alter ego to run the 10k he can raise awareness of this rare disorder, as well as funds for The Haemochromatosis Society.

Kevin said: “I’ve always enjoyed running and exercising,but the lethargic symptoms left me unable to exercise.

“After suffering for over a year, I visited my GP who diagnosed me with Haemochromatosis, and was relieved to hear that there was no major damage.

“I have since been through a difficult process, having to visiting Stobhill Hospital every 10-14 days in order to release the iron from my body, where each time around a pint of blood has been withdrawn.

“The regular removal of blood left me feeling unwell and exhausted, particularly as I was attending these appointments at 7.30am before going to work.”

The average ferritin level for a male is typically 20 to 50 nanograms per millilitre, however after a series of tests, Kevin was found to have ferritin levels close to 1100, 95 per cent more than average.

Kevin continued: “I am grateful to the nursing staff at Stobhill for their considered treatment and support during this time.

“I count myself as one of the lucky ones as my iron levels have dropped significantly and without complications and after a year I’m now in maintenance – meaning I now only need to receive venesection blood removal therapy once every three months in order to prevent the ferritin levels from rising again.”

He will be joined by 14 members of Team Iron Overload for the run, including Kimberley Cameron who will be running the race dressed as Superwoman.

Kimberley also suffers from the inherited condition, as did her late father John, who died at the age of 49.

Kevin said: “Despite being easy to diagnose with a simple blood test, many sufferers of haemochromatosis are unaware they have the condition or are diagnosed after irreparable organ damage has occurred, because the symptoms of the disease can be mistaken for a number of other health conditions.”

Up to 30,000 runners of all ages and abilities will be heading to Glasgow during the last weekend in September, with the Toddler Dash, Junior Run and Family Mile taking place on Super Saturday (September 29) with both the 10k and half marathon taking place the next day.

If you wish to sponsor Kevin or join the team visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kevin-kane2.

To enter the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run visit www.greatscottishrun.com (Toddler Dash is now closed).