Doctors in training are told "When you hear hoofbeats look for horses, not zebras". The idea being that horses are more common than zebras, and doctors should find the most straightforward explanation for a patient's symptoms. This is right most of the time, but it misses out on the zebras that walk amongst us. People with a litany of symptoms that can all individually be explained away, but when viewed together they paint a very different picture.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a genetic condition that makes your body’s connective tissue weaker than it should be. About 1 in 500 people are diagnosed with EDS, and it commonly affects your skin and joints, showing up in a number of symptoms that all have a plausible explanation. This means that a lot of people have EDS without being diagnosed or even realising it. Some common symptoms include:

Stretchy, velvety skin

Chronic fatigue

Extremely flexible joints

Bruising like a peach

Joint and muscle pain

Dysautonomia (where some of your body's automatic functions are a bit off, like blood not flowing efficiently around your body or proper temperature regulation)

My wife Freddi has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). For her it means she can put her whole palm on the floor while bending over, but also that she bruises like a peach and queueing (that great British tradition) can represent a race against time before the blood pools in her feet and she passes out. A lot of these things can be managed day by day, but there is no cure for EDS at the moment. It has meant 9 surgeries in the past 4 years, countless tests and specialist appointments and a lot of wondering what the hell is going on. That's where this fundraiser comes in.

I've entered the 2025 London Marathon to raise money for the Ehlers-Danlos Support UK charity which works to minimize the impact of EDS by making its diagnosis, treatment, and management accessible to everyone who needs it. They use the money they receive through fundraising and donations to provide support through trained volunteers, foster local and virtual communities and fund targeted research projects as well as much more.

I've set a fundraising goal of £2,500 to reach before the race day on April 27th 2025. I'll be racing in as many zebra stripes as I can find to raise awareness for the cause. I'm incredibly grateful for anything you can contribute towards this goal. And just in case the thought of supporting a good cause isn't enough for you (I know who you are), here's a sweetener.

If you donate £20 or more I will put on a temporary zebra tattoo with your name on it for race day.

If we reach the £2,500 target I will get a themed tattoo. No jokes, this will be my first tattoo and I'm a massive wuss with pain. You will be able to see videos of me trying to be brave. Not only that, but my employer Fidelity will match donations up to £2,500, offering the added bonus that your donation will personally cost a multinational corporation. And who can say no to that.

If we reach £5,000 I will adopt a zebra and leave it up to you to name them.