On Saturday 19th October 2024 our very own Jessica Brunskill, Senior Consultant here at Applica, will undertake the ruthless 10k Tough Mudder course at Cholmondeley Castle for two very special and very worthy reasons.

Jess’ older stepbrother Callum has faced numerous health conditions throughout his life. Callum was diagnosed with a liver disease at aged 11 that required a liver transplant. He had the transplant in 2016 and around that time he was also diagnosed with another autoimmune disease called Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) which is rare disorder that causes low platelets. In 2018 he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease which is another autoimmune disease and then whilst in hospital in 2021 having a Crohn’s flare up he was diagnosed with the very rare autoimmune disease called Evans Syndrome. This is a disorder in which the body's immune system produces antibodies that mistakenly destroy red blood cells, platelets and sometimes certain white blood cells known as neutrophils. He has just been in hospital for 5 weeks and needed 27 blood transfusions whilst he was being treated for the flare up. Little is known about the disorder and Callum is currently the only known patient in the world that has this combined with Crohn’s disease, so research is vital to understand more.

Jess and her family faced further difficult circumstance earlier this year when her father was diagnosed with cancer, as have other family members previously. She is determined to raise as much as possible, contributing to the fight for the millions of people that have gone through and are going through the same situation.

It has been an exceptionally challenging time for Jess and her family, but she is determined to do something about it. Through taking part in the Tough Mudder, Jess is looking to raise £2000, £1000 for the haematology department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where Callum was treated, to support further research into Evans syndrome and other to patients and £1000 for Cancer Research in support of the incredible work which they do.