On 3rd March 2021 I had a debilitating reaction to an injection. I experienced around 40 different symptoms that affected me physically, cognitively, and emotionally, and life became completely unrecognisable. I documented the full journey on my Facebook page, which is set to public. With the NHS unable to help, and no government financial support forthcoming, within a year I had spent more than £7000 on numerous tests and treatments, only to recover to about 30% of my pre-injection self. My life is still unrecognisable. And I don’t have any answers.

I decided that I would try to make it through another year of searching for answers and trying different healing avenues, but knew that I needed about another £10,000 in order to do that. So on the one-year anniversary I set up a healthcare crowdfunder, which raised around £5,000, and this Just Giving fundraiser will hopefully raise the other £5,000 (I had originally hoped to raise a total of £20,000 so that I could go to Germany for some experimental treatment, but when my spot on the waiting list came up in June and I hadn't raised enough, I gave up that idea!).

As of June 2022, I have finally found a haematologist and a rheumatologist willing to do some specialised investigations, but they are expensive (one set of blood tests cost over £1000). I do feel like I am getting somewhere, albeit very slowly. I have discovered that therapeutic phlebotomy temporarily relieves my symptoms, so I have learned to take my own blood in the hope that I can save some money there as well as possibly extend the beneficial impact. I no longer go to acupuncture or counselling so I save some money there but the specialists I am hoping to see cost ten times as much. The UK has absolutely nothing in place for people like me — it is a struggle to even find private consultants willing to help.

I’m not getting better, I’m clearly not dead yet, but it feels like a constant effort to keep myself alive. I’m not ready to give up just yet, but I do need your help to keep going. With your help, I think I can find the strength to keep going for another year.

I’ll continue to share everything I’m learning along the way, just in case any of it is useful to anyone else. I do my best to spread concepts like compassion and am trying to be an advocate for people like me. I’m trying to use my 30% wisely and kindly, and in a way that is meaningful and supportive to others. Hopefully I will continue to find humour in my situation, and I hope that you do too!

I once worked out that I had raised about a quarter of a million pounds for others during my life. I know I have some incredibly generous friends who have supported many causes dear to my heart over the years. I’m so sorry to ask for your support again. I’m sorry that this time it’s for me.

Here’s an idea of amounts you could contribute and what they cover:

£10 Prescription fee

£12 Average cost of a health-related book

£20 One day’s worth of healthcare

£25 Average supplement cost

£50 Medical reports

£250 One 30-minute consultation with a medical specialist

£300 One hour with a specialist lawyer

£1000 Complex blood testing from specialist

This Just Giving £5,000 should cover the haematology and rheumatology investigations as well as ongoing supplements and medications necessary to keep me ticking along until we get to the bottom of this. Thank you so much!