Hey everyone!

Some of you will know me well, others not so much. Either way, thank you for taking a moment to read my story and consider donating to my cause.

In honour of my 21st birthday, I have decided to raise money for Mind, a charity who support people with mental illness, and Cancer Research UK, a charity who work both to prevent and treat cancer. Both of these charities are very close to my heart.

Mind:

Since sometime around 2020 I have suffered with anxiety and depression. Sometimes I tell people quite openly, but I have often kept it to myself. I still attended uni full time, socialised with friends and competed in sports. What most people didn’t see was the constant crying, sleeping, inability to concentrate, distressing intrusive thoughts, rapid uncontrollable weight gain, and absence of self-confidence, even sense of self. These were only worsened by my endometriosis, which left me with embarrassing symptoms and constant, excruciating pain.

However, I am getting better. Slowly but surely. With the right antidepressants, surgery for my endometriosis, and therapy, I am learning to be kinder to myself, and to recognise the unhelpful thoughts.

So why am I telling you this now. This is not an uncommon story. Too many people suffer from mental illness, and for so long it has been stigmatised, something to be ashamed of. And sometimes I participated in this, and made excuses for symptoms instead of sharing the real reason. I am sharing this now in the hope to raise awareness for some, give hope to others, and to remind myself that depression is a condition like any other, and one that does eventually get better. That is why one of the charities I am raising money for is Mind.

Cancer Research UK:

Over the last few years, I have also lost both my grandfathers to cancer. One, myeloma, the other, prostate cancer. For my Grandpa, Cancer Research UK funded one of his treatments that wasn’t available on the NHS. Thanks to the treatments currently available, both my grandfathers were able to live for several years post-diagnosis, years of memories with two wonderful men, that I will be eternally grateful to have had.

Working in a hospital, I see daily that this is a brutal disease that can affect pretty much every corner of the body. Some forms are treatable, others significantly less so. But thanks to constant advances in medicine and persistent research, new treatments are developed every day, and more people are surviving cancer than ever before. I can only hope that in my lifetime this will continue, hence why I want to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

My Fundraiser:

Now, the fun bit. In order to raise money for these two incredible charities, I have decided there is only one way forward - for Mind, a 15,000ft skydive, to prove to myself I am strong and capable of doing something scary. And for Cancer Research UK, I will be braving the shave. With half-metre long hair, I will then be donating this to the Little Princess Trust, a wonderful foundation who make and provide free wigs for children who have lost their own hair to illness. And thus was born, the Big Bald Skydive. It will take place on Saturday 29th of July, and I promise will be well documented on my social media for everyone to enjoy.

It is my goal to raise £1000, to gift £500 to each of these incredible charities. Unfortunately I have to promote these charities separately, so feel free to follow your heart, but I would like to try and keep these donations as even as possible. Thank you anyone who chooses to donate, for anything you give, or if you choose not to, I simply thank you for hearing my story, and would love for you to share the cause to your friends and family.

See you in a few weeks, prepare yourself for screaming in both activities!!

All the love,

Jenna