My name is Ruby and I am 19 years old. 

When I was 15 I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (III). This is a rare connective tissue disorder which affects 1 in 10,000 people. It causes me daily chronic pain in my knees, hips and back and has led to other conditions such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome which affects things like temperature regulation and fatigue.

These are all symptoms which many people over the world suffer from without any form of diagnosis of EDS. This is because it is one of the most underfunded and unresearched diseases in medicine today. EDS effects me in many ways, but the most obvious one is widespread chronic pain. I often have to use a wheelchair to get around and have to take strong painkillers just to be able to bear the pain.

My goal is not only to raise money for a charity which supports people in the UK suffering from EDS, but also to raise awareness and inform people that this is an invisible illness which is totally life limiting.  

I am going to challenge myself to swim 1 mile on Sunday the 5th of June, so please sponsor me - and spread the word!