Since the age of 4 I've had a rare kidney condition: nephrotic syndrome. It put me in out of hospital, school and uni, totalling nearly 2 years of time off growing up. It's not something I tend to shout much about, but the first time ever I decided to do something a bit more public about it. 

The way the condition works is like this: I'll be going about my day and quite suddenly I'll find it hard do something that usually comes without thinking. I might get cramp in my legs as I go up the stairs, I might start feeling sick after having a glass of water. I'll feel tired after a morning of subdued work or my clothes might feel heavy on my back. 

But the first visible sign is my eyes start to get puffy. My legs then begin to swell. And my ankles start to feel constricted by my socks. These are the signs of kidneys beginning to leak fluid into my tissues. After that, I start to feel sick - and I am. 

But as my body starts rejecting simple foods and drinks, I also start to gain weight and my body fills with fluid. In 2017, I weighed about 70kgs and within a week I weighed 85kg, despite not eating a thing. 

Trips in and out of hospital usually follow with IV drips and huge concoction of medicine - my last bout put my on just over 20 pills a day and a lot of time at home alone. 

Lingering in the background are the mental health aspects: not being able to participate in things you enjoy, spend time with people you like, swelling up and not looking like yourself, and never finding the right balance between knowing when your illness is knocking you back or if you're just not good, sporty or smart enough. All to boot are the side-effects of being a kid on this many meds - chemically induced low moods, low amounts of energy and low morale. 

I'm pleased to say I'm not really like that anymore, but I felt now is a good time to do something about it. 

There hasn't been much research into the causes and cures for the condition since the 1950s, but the charity NeST is doing a lot in this area to help. 

Any penny is very welcome and would mean a lot.