Unbelievably, this year marks 10 years since my mum, Erika, died suddenly aged only 58 after a fairly routine stay in hospital to manage her vasculitis. Mum had been diagnosed with Wegener’s Granulomatosis (since renamed ‘GPA’ - Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis) some years earlier after months and months of seemingly unrelated symptoms, but was managing the disease fairly well with dialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant. 

I vividly remember the morning she died. My sister Clare and I had been talking through ideas for her 60th birthday the following year—less than an hour later and everything had changed.

We had never heard of vasculitis before mum was diagnosed. It’s rare, with only 10 to 15 new cases a year per million population. Early diagnosis is vital to prevent serious organ damage but there are no tests for the disease and the symptoms are often seemingly unrelated, meaning it can go undiagnosed for many years.

In memory of mum, and to raise awareness of this disease and support the vital work of Vasculitis UK, I will be doing ‘Couch to 10K’ throughout April, May and June, culminating in the Castle Howard 10K on Sunday 26th July. I would be so very thankful if you were able to support me in any way you can, whether that be donating your time to help me with my training runs or by donating to my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.