UPDATE: WE HAVE NOW PARTNERED WITH THE MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION TO SET UP A DEDICATED FUND FOR AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS RESEARCH. PLEASE USE THIS NEW JUSTGIVING PAGE SO THE MONEY GOES DIRECT TO THEM - AND SO THEY CAN CLAIM GIFT AID.

On July 7, my wife Andrea lost a six-month battle with auto-immune disease. Despite amazing care first from Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, and then from the specialists at King's College Hospital, the damage to her liver was too severe for her to survive until a transplant.

Andrea was a brilliant friend, an amazing photographer, a beloved family member and a devoted mother. She enriched not just my life, but the lives of all those who knew her. And in the face of an awful disease, she showed enormous courage and resilience.

The doctors treating her did everything they could. But the truth is that auto-immune disease - especially of the liver - is still not well enough understood. We know it mostly affects women, often after giving birth. But we don't know exactly what triggers it or who is most vulnerable - and treatment, while much more effective than it used to be, still lags behind better-known, better-understood and better-funded diseases.

We want to raise money in Andrea's memory to fund research into this disease - so that other mothers, and other families, don't have to go through what we have. Our current aim is to fund an annual prize in her name, to incentivise researchers to study this relatively neglected condition, which affects thousands of people every year - the more we raise, the more we can give and the longer we can keep it running. We cannot ask for Gift Aid as we have not yet chosen a specific charity, but whatever happens every penny you give will go towards vitally needed research.

Whether you knew Andrea personally, or liked her work on Instagram, or have been inspired by her story, or know others who have gone through similar problems, or just want to help, we'd be grateful for any support you can give.