Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. My name is Mel Hewitt and my mum was Lilian Hewitt. I am raising money for the Lauren Currie foundation in honour of my mum who died from the implications of her health condition vasculitis. The charity supports those living with Vasculitis.

Vasculitis is a medical term meaning inflammation of blood vessels. It can be primary (occurring on its own) or secondary (occurring as part of another condition). Some people with vasculitis test positive for antibodies to constituents of certain white blood cells (anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies or ANCA) and are said to have ANCA vasculitis. Vasculitis is an uncommon illness. 

About 20 in every 100,000 people get ANCA vasculitis every year in the UK. Vasculitis can affect all age groups.

My mum was finally diagnosed with vasculitis after being ill for many years but not knowing why. This was a relief for my mum to finally have an understanding of her condition and how it impacted her daily living. Whilst it was a relief it was only the beginning of what was a difficult journey of trying various treatments and medications to try and manage the condition. Vasculitis can be difficult to diagnose as it is still under researched and not fully understood by medical professionals. It can present as various different conditions and requires specific knowledge to identify this as vasculitis.

Some of the symptoms my mum was living with was feel generally unwell, fever, night sweats, weight loss and tiredness. Issues with her nose including  stuffiness, nose bleeds and sinus pain and issues with her lungs which resulted in breathlessness, coughing up blood and fibrosis of the lungs.

She also frequently struggled with joint and muscle pains, headaches or tingling of the arms and legs. Vasculitis in less obvious areas of the body such as the kidneys may not cause any symptoms in the early stages. Long-term vasculitis of the kidneys can lead to kidney failure.

My mum was very strong throughout her struggles with vasculitis but had days where the mental impact of it took its toll. My mum turned to the Lauren Currie foundation for vasculitis. They offered support groups  and a community in which she could discuss the complexities of this condition. They also provide a respite lodge in the highlands. I went there with my mum, dad and partner and it was beautiful, peaceful and we were able to create some lovely memories there. My mum loved going there, it was a wonderful break for her to spent time with family which meant the most to her.

My mum sadly passed away February 2023. This was related to vasculitis and the damage it did to her lungs. My mum was a wonderful, kind and beautiful soul who is dearly missed by all who knew her. Whilst in hospital she was incredibly strong, being brave and keeping up hope for her family who were struggling with the news. Before she became very unwell she expressed her wish to raise money for the Lauren Currie foundation, for the support and guidance they have given her and for the support they will continue to give to others with the condition. Unfortunately my mum became too unwell to do this herself. 

I am therefore raising money for the foundation in honour of my mum. I will be running the Edinburgh half marathon on Sunday the 28th May. I know my mum would be happy with this and will be there with me in spirit. I have previously run a 13k but never the half marathon distance so this will be a challenge but I have the best motivation to complete it - for my mum. 

I know times are tough for all right now, but if you are financially able to support it would mean a great deal to me and my family to receive donations for this wonderful charity who did so much for my mum. 

Thanks,

Mel