Imagine being told you have an incurable medical condition that will affect how you look, the clothes you can wear, the job you do, how you feel about yourself and how others view you. Discomfort, swelling, fatigue, increased risk of infection and skin changes will be a part of your life for ever. None of your friends, family, or anyone else had ever heard of it and even your GP had very little idea how to treat it. Now imagine there was nowhere to go for support, information, advice, and guidance.

The LSN cannot change the diagnosis for the 400,000 adults, children and babies living with lymphoedema in the UK, but we can listen, support, empower, educate, raise awareness and campaign for better care.

At the end of November, the LSN Trustees made the difficult decision to launch an emergency appeal to raise funds to be able to continue the LSN. Our aim was to raise £30,000 and, acknowledging what a tough time many people are having financially at the moment, we allowed ourselves 4 months to do so. We could never have imagined the response. Within two weeks of the appeal going live we had not only hit our target but exceeded it.

Along with generous financial gifts, so many of you have taken the time to share wonderful comments and words of encouragement about how much the LSN has helped you. It has given us so much hope and we are truly grateful for each and every one.

Although we have raised enough to cover the immediate need, as a small charity that receives no NHS or government funds, we still face the challenge of continuing to raise money week on week, month on month. The Trustees, staff and volunteers are all committed to honouring the trust you have placed in us and your appreciation of the LSN, by exploring all and every option in the coming months to ensure that our work continues into the future.

We are still gratefully receiving donations via the link below and every penny raised will go to support the work the LSN does for everyone living with or affected by lymphoedema.

The LSN has been supporting people living with lymphoedema for 32 years.

Please help us to continue to do so.