On the 12th September 2021 I am taking part in the Brighton Marathon and raising money for the charity Mind. They provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and say 'We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.' Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. But hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling.

Since 2011 my sister has suffered with mental health.

This began with controlled restrictive eating which led to anorexia but later escalated to bulimia, depression, and anxiety as well. I want to raise money for the charity Mind to help raise awareness and funds to help not only those suffering with the disorders but also for the family and friends around them.

Having this in the family for so many years has put so much stress on the family, making what most would see as an enjoyment of eating a daily challenge for us all. Eating out, getting a takeaway, family gathering, Christmas, going to a bar for some drinks and going on holiday have been nothing but a challenge for my sister and ones in most cases she has stopped doing because she can’t overcome the challenge and eat a meal she hasn't cooked and controlled the calories herself.

My sister has come a long way since this all began and I couldn't be prouder of her, last year she overcame the bulimia and is able to eat out at restaurants (still needing to know the calories online) and on occasions she challenges herself to a takeaway and an alcoholic drink or two.  She has got her periods back which is a massive milestone in her recovery, for years it was unknown if she would ever get this back due to the damage she has done to her body which would mean she would not have been able to naturally start a family.

Raising awareness as well as money to support mental health is essential. We struggled to get help from the NHS so had to seek help privately to get the help she needed, but it was very expensive to do this. Help shouldn't be hard to get and the earlier its caught the easier it can be to overcome  Not only help for individuals  but help too for the family and friends is so important so they can learn and understand the disorder and know how to act around the individual when they are at their weakest and most vulnerable.

Thank you so much for reading my story  and any donation will be really appreciated.