I will be shaving off my locks on 1st March 2024 to raise money for The Pituitary Foundation - a charity that has become very close to my heart.

My daughter Piper Pollock was born on 1st June 2023 and remained in hospital for 36 days. After multiple blood tests and an MRI at 7 days old, Piper was diagnosed with a super rare condition called Congenital Panhypopituitarism. Panhypopituitarism means that Pipers pituitary gland does not produce the vital hormones that the body needs to function effectively such as;

Growth hormone, which is important for growth, but also has an important role in bone strength, blood sugars, and well-being.

The gonadotropins (luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone) which stimulate the ovaries and testis to produce oestrogen and testosterone respectively, but are also important for fertility.

The natural steroid and primary stress hormone, cortisol.

Prolactin, the breast feeding hormone.

Thyroid stimulating hormone, which regulates release of thyroid hormones from the thyroid.

Arginine vasopressin, which acts on the kidneys to concentrate the urine and retain water.

Panhypopituitarism affects roughly 1 in 100000 people globally but the number of people in the UK with other pituitary problems is around 70000. The pituitary foundation has 2300 members and seeks that all people with pituitary conditions live well, now and in the future. They work with everyone with a pituitary condition, their support networks and healthcare professionals to raise pituitary awareness and reduce time to diagnosis.

Thanks for taking the time to visit 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.