Since the age of 9, I have suffered from a disease commonly referred to as 'the silent killer' amongst the many Mental Health Disorders of our modern society. An illness that kills 320,000 of its' 1.6 million MINIMUM sufferers a year (a devastating 20% of diagnosed individuals, numbers since increasing rapidly, of this type of Eating Disorder alone ending in an early grave). A deathly path taking numerous lives in the dark and becoming the Highest Mortality Rate amongst psychiatric disorders - even after they have 'recovered' from the initial potential physical complications. This disease is known to you as Anorexia Nervosa, but to me it is the Fight Of / For My Life.

Over a decade later, and this illness still continues to plague my life like a shadow bound to my being - not always seen, but always there. I walk through every day life as an outwardly participating member of society, but internally this invisible bully prods and pokes me at every turn. Every morning I get dressed. Every mealtime that comes around. Every scent of food that floats down the street. Every shop mirror I pass. Every decision I make regarding 'which bowl will I eat out of today?' 'will this XX calorie meal make me fatter?' 'do I even need to eat today?'. The torment is endless.

I have suffered at the feet of death thanks to this illness. I lost my childhood and my entire teenage years thanks to this illness. I now still suffer from ongoing complications, let alone its' presence, of which one day may kill me from out of the blue thanks to this illness. And i'm not alone. There are millions of suffers of many types of Eating Disorders; the figures listed above apply to Anorexia Nervosa ALONE - forgetting Bulimia Nervosa, Binge/Purge Disorder, EDNOS and Orthorexia Nervosa. Yet all of these sufferers will not be so lucky to access the help I was able to access which saved my life when I thought my time was up; however an amazing charity has funded the ongoing FREE support available for all sufferers since 1995. A charity funded entirely by those once at the hands of their Eating Disorders; those who are second-handedly impacted; those who know of someone in their community to be suffering; those who have lost someone to an Eating Disorder...B-EAT supports them all.

Hence why I am choosing to take to the skies and pledge to skydive my way through the Earth's atmosphere - hoping to raise a life changing £700 of which will be donated to B-EAT and further fund their ongoing support, services, and research into fighting these disorders. As a first-hand sufferer, and those close to me will know, I would not be alive today without the support I received for my Eating Disorder. My story would have been over many years ago indefinitely, and despite still being at risk I want to ensure I have made my stamp in the Eating Disorder's face from hurting others the way it has hurt me.

Every donation - big or small - combines to make a huge difference. Your donation could be funding a vital conversation between a trained counsellor and a lost sufferer looking for a way out. It all matters.