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Quick summary: Migraine is awful, and it's also treatable. If you'd like to help sufferers and their families get relief, and further research for a cure, please consider sponsoring my British 10k run. Thanks. :)

I'm new to running, but I've been getting out there a few times a week since February to get ready for the British 10k, which is on the 8th of July - just one month away! I'm running in support of the Migraine Trust, who do wonderful work to raise awareness of migraine and help those affected by it - a cause that's very personal to me.

I started getting migraines a few years ago, but I didn't know that's what they were. Throbbing pain behind my left eye, revolting guts and unrelenting shivers - like the normal flu, the stomach flu and a psychological episode all rolled into one. I couldn't tolerate any light or noise. I'd be sick, angry, hopeless and very hard to live with for several days, so the best thing for everyone was for me to stay asleep as much as possible. After returning to miserable consciousness over and over again, at some point I'd finally wake up feeling no pain, a little hungry and a bit giddy with success at not dying. (Dramatic, I know - migraine does weird things to brains.)

Today, thanks partly to the work of the Migraine Trust, I know how to recognise the onset of a migraine, and I can take a pill that halts all symptoms and returns me to feeling normal within an hour. This is truly, truly amazing. Unfortunately, because it's not a high-profile health issue, many sufferers haven't found the same relief yet.

Around 190,000 people in the UK suffer migraines every day in the UK, and many GPs aren't clued up about symptoms and treatment. Mine wasn't, and it was two years before I met -- by pure accident -- a doctor who recognised the symptoms and prescribed a drug that actually worked. That was absolutely life-changing, and it haunts me now that my family and I could have struggled indefinitely to cope. It haunts me that there are a lot of people suffering on their own without a diagnosis; without knowing that there's help available.

That's why I want to run for The Migraine Trust: to help reach those people and give them hope. Can you help too? I'd be super grateful for any amount you'd like to contribute.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now. Thanks. :)