This year I was diagnosed with hEDS and like many of us I received help and support from this charity and I would like to give back so they can continue helping people who are recently diagnosed. 

Hiking 40 miles over 4 days will not be easy for me and although I have major anxiety about completing it (due to recurring achilles and knee tendinopathy and bursitis) I'm going to take all my aids and just try my best.

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones. EDS can affect people in different ways. For some, the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling. The different types of EDS are caused by faults in certain genes that make connective tissue weaker.

Any money raised will be used by EDS UK to support the charity's core services. Being diagnosed or suspected of having a chronic condition can be difficult, challenging and bewildering. Many people don’t know where to turn and struggle to cope. Feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness are common. The money you are raising will be used to help fund our essential support services – minimising the impact of EDS and making what is an often isolating and lonely condition more manageable.