My mum has had a very rare condition called Lipoedema since the age of 12. Not many people are aware of what Lipoedema is, many people with the condition are usually labelled ‘fat’ without knowing the ins and outs. Lipoedema affects around 11% of women and it is nearly certain to be a genetic condition that can skip family generations.

Lipoedema causes an abnormal buildup of fat in limbs, usually the legs but can affect upper arms and tummy and causes severe pain daily. From the condition you can also develop bruises frequently and very easily. Some people are quick to say ‘just diet or exercise’ but these factors have no impact on lipoedema as this type of fat is a different structure than ‘normal’ body fat.

For years I have seen my mum go through many different diets: keto, vegan, shake diets and calorie restrictive diets, which have not helped shake the lipoedema fat. I have seen my mum underweight being as small as a size 6/8 on her torso with her collar bones sticking out, yet her legs and arms have remained large. She has joined gyms and had personal trainers but again this hasn’t shifted the lipoedema fat. The struggles of this condition are not just visual, it causes pain for her on a daily basis and isn’t nice for her psychologically. She has had hateful and nasty comments about her physical appearance throughout her life despite her 14 stone weight loss with Slimming World.

Everyone who knows my mum knows she is a hard-working person and she never thinks about herself, she works in the healthcare sector and has worked up to 50 hours a week on average for the last 3 years, she is always on the go. This condition is only getting worse for her and according to Dr Karri (the UK’s leading lipoedema surgeon) lipoedema is a progressive condition which will only deteriorate over time and worsen her symptoms. After years of hospital appointments, we found out lipoedema surgery is not available on the NHS and she would have to fund the surgeries herself.

In October 2019, my mum had her first surgery costing £7,000. Unknowingly at the time, the surgeon was trained in liposuction, and not lipoedema removal. My mum was bedbound for 7 weeks, she could barely walk and I have personally never seen her in so much pain. Weeks after her swelling had reduced, we quickly realised the surgeon had taken more fat out of one leg than the other. This left dents and unevenness in both my mums legs and it hasn’t made much of an impact, because of this she now has ankle pantaloon deformity and over-resection in areas due to this surgery. After this operation, my mum was very much put off from having another one.

I finally convinced my mum to get lipoedema surgery with Dr Karri, at The Karri Clinic in Hull. After lots of research and a successful consultation with Dr Karri, he confirmed my mum is the worst type and stage of lipoedema: Type 4 and Stage 4. He told us it is spreading through her arms and has spread throughout her legs. After this consultation I told mum it’s time we do something about it, she has already lived decades of her life with this agonising condition, she deserves to live the remainder of her life pain free. She has been judged and bullied most of her life. The bullying resulted in an assault during school. This affected her physically with a long term knee injury, adding to her pain. Psychologically the nasty comments she endured along with not being able to fit into clothes, sometimes shoes and boots, making her feel 'abnormal' compared to others. My mum has stayed determined and focused, she has never given up and she makes me proud everyday.

The reason I have set up this JustGiving page is to help fund my mum's lipoedema operations. Her first surgery which failed to remove the fat due to the inexperienced lipoedema surgeon cost her £7,000. The first operation with Dr Karri is in January 2021 which is costing £8,500 - we have reached this cost with the help of savings, the kindness of our family and an amazingly generous donation from the CEO of Pretty Little Thing, Umar Kamani, who donated $2500 (£1935). Her second operation is in June 2021 costing £9,200 which is the next target.

I have confidence in Dr Karri to help my mum, he has shown us during operation videos (with patients consent) as well as before and afters. This would be a complete dream of my mum’s to be able to go through with the operation, it would improve her quality of life and give her a life she deserves without pain. I told my mum I would do anything in my power to make sure this operation is doable, which includes being able to fund it. My mum has been through so much in her life and never once puts herself first, everyone who knows my mum knows the kind-hearted and selfless person she is and I really want to make this happen for her.

If anyone can kindly make a donation, me and my mum would appreciate it and if you can’t, please spend a couple of minutes to read up on Lipoedema and share this link to spread awareness.

More information about lipoedema

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/5d58f224-4bf7-498f-97d4-4073754a8f7f

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lipoedema/

https://www.lipoedema.co.uk/