Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Over a decade ago while living in the US I collapsed and was admitted to hospital with excruciating pain, and it emerged I had a large ovarian cyst. After months of attempting to treat this with no success, I had surgery, which also confirmed a diagnosis of endometriosis. The doctors were amazing and after my final post-op check, my surgeon's parting words were to go and "hold a placard for endo!" to raise awareness of this disease.

Endometriosis, a painful and currently incurable illness, and diagnosis can usually only be confirmed via abdominal surgery to examine the affected tissue. It is not known what causes endometriosis and there is no known cure.

This illness affects millions of women and yet is poorly understood, poorly funded, and not widely known, even among medical professionals. This is why I am dedicating this half marathon to raising funds and awareness for them. It would mean a lot to me if you could spare a donation. Just click the Donate button below, or read on for further info. Thank you.

If you wish to know more, Endometriosis-UK has lots of information and resources on this subject: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-facts-and-figures

If you are feeling ultra keen and would like to take part in the race there is still time to register for the half-marathon taking place in mid-May: https://www.runforall.com/events/half-marathon/leeds-half-marathon/

Endometriosis is a disease that affects 1 in 10 women worldwide, and 80% of those suffering it go undiagnosed. Its symptoms include debilitating pain and infertility, and the average diagnosis time is 8 years. Doctors don't know what causes it, and there is no known cure.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.