I am raising money for Christian Aid and Ehlers-Danlos Society. It is Christian Aid week (10^th-16^th May) and EDS/HSD Awareness month (May 2020).

As these are two charities which are very close to my heart, I wanted to use this lockdown to my advantage and raise some money for both.

Christian Aid

I have always been a supporter of Christian Aid, right back when I was 8 or 9 and used to walk from house to house alongside my Mum, laden with red envelopes. Their aim is to put a stop to global poverty. I went to one of the poorest countries in the world in 2019 and saw poverty first-hand. It is astounding that in a world with so many wealthy people, there are still people who have nothing but their name and the clothes on their back. During this lockdown, we can’t go door-to-door and so Christian Aid need all the support they can get. Singer Martyn Joseph says it best, “Freedom won’t be freedom until poverty is gone”.

EDS Society

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders that can be inherited. They are generally characterised by joints that stretch further than normal, skin that can be stretched further than normal, and tissue fragility. EDS can affect people in different ways. For some, the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling. The EDS Society’s goal is worldwide awareness and a better quality of life for all who suffer from the conditions. Research is at the centre of what they do, so that one day we will have a cure.

For those of you that don’t know, I, myself have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). I am lucky enough that my symptoms are relatively mild, but I suffer with many subluxations (partial dislocation) which lead to chronic pain, and I have constant aching all over that never really goes away. My main problem is that I can do far too much, and then suffer the consequences for days, even weeks afterwards. I can’t stand for too long or move in certain ways. However, in March, after numerous chiropractic appointments, getting laughed at and patronised by my doctor, and getting frustrated at my lack
of progress and weight gain, I spoke to a personal trainer.

Since then, I have realised that I need to stop sitting around feeling sorry for myself and do something about it. My aim is to get fitter, healthier and to build up my muscles to keep my joints in place.

I am going to be walking 10,000 steps a day for 30 days (10^th May-8^th June)- Totalling 300,000 steps and contributing towards the EDS Society’s 300,000 Acts of Awareness. I realise, for many of you, you may see this as easy, but for me it is more than just a few steps.

“Love never fails. Coronavirus impacts all of us. But love unites us all.”- Christian Aid

“Our strength begins with hope.”- The Ehlers-Danlos Society