My sister, Lily, was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome when she was 2 years old. Williams Syndrome makes Lily the incredible person she is, although it also comes with many challenges. She’s had multiple major surgeries throughout childhood and adulthood, been under the care of various specialists and faces difficult social barriers which mean she is a vulnerable adult.

As a family we’ve been part of the Williams Syndrome Foundation for many years and are grateful for the support they offer. This is why I will be raising awareness and a bit of money for the Foundation this May, by walking 100 kilometres throughout the month.

I will be doing this with my boys in tow… my 3 year old might scoot, but will most likely insist on being on his buggy board. While my 7 month old will have the hardest job of all… sleeping in the buggy. All in all, this will mean I’m pushing roughly 40kg each kilometre!

Any donation would be great, although I know we’re living in an expensive world right now. If you’re able to share this page in order to raise awareness about Williams Syndrome, that would be incredible.

Here are 10 facts about WS…

1. Williams Syndrome is a rare disorder which is present from birth and occurs randomly

2. Williams Syndrome causes distinctive facial characteristics

3. Babies with Williams Syndrome often have a low birth weight and struggle to gain weight due to feeding problems

4. Williams Syndrome causes learning difficulties and delayed development, making it difficult for milestones to be reached

5. Most children with Williams Syndrome require a specialist school

6. Anxiety and depression are common amongst adults with Williams Syndrome

7. People with Williams Syndrome tend to be talkative and excessively friendly towards adults

8. Most people with Williams Syndrome have a narrowing of the aortic valve which sometimes requires heart surgery

9. Only one in 30 GPs will ever see a patient with WS

10. Roughly 1 in 18,000 people have Williams Syndrome in the UK. The Foundation hears of increasing numbers of cases each year – the figure rises as awareness grows!

Thank you for reading ❤️🤍💙