Taking a leap for Endometriosis

MIH Property Management, Head of Accounts, Richard Townsend tells us about his 12,000ft leap for charity!

At MIH we’re all about Making Things Happen, so we were right behind Richard when he decided to take on a challenge to raise funds for Endometriosis UK, a cause close to his heart. Not only are we making this our charity for this year, but we’re sponsoring Richard to do a Skydive – a daring feat and certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Why a skydive at 12,000ft

“

I wanted to do something that I would not find easy and something that would really challenge me. Although I did a static line jump at 3,000 ft when I was 19 (a long, long time ago) I found it utterly terrifying and promised myself I would never do anything so “stupid” again! But now I am going an extra 9,000 ft”

Why?

“

Watching someone you love suffer with an incurable disease is incredibly hard, particularly when it is your child, so anything I can do to raise funds for the charity is worth it.”

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Each month these cells react in the same way as those in the womb, building up and then breaking down and bleeding. However, unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape. This can cause inflammation, pain, the formation of scar tissue, and adhesions where tissue binds the pelvic organs together.

Symptoms can include severe and chronic pain, fatigue and lack of energy, fertility issues, stomach and bowel problems, and can have an impact on mental health, such as depression, resulting from living with the condition. In the more extreme cases, it can be life-changing and debilitating.

Endometriosis-UK’s aims:

• Provide support and information in the first instance
• Help people overcome the impact endometriosis can have on individual lives
• Reduce average diagnosis time to under 4 years by 2025, and under 1 year by 2030
• For everyone to have the right to fast, appropriate care, support and treatment
• For all of society to fully understand endometriosis and its impact and to be aware of the work of Endometriosis UK

Richard’s daughter Rebekah share’s her experience:

“Endometriosis has changed the way I live my life and my perspective on life.

Unfortunately, I started getting symptoms when I was at performing arts college when I was just 17 and by the week before my 18th birthday, I had received surgery after being diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis. I had to finish the exams and coursework for my course at home as I was bed bound due to the pain until my surgery, furthermore due to the continual pain I was forced to stop dancing completely after.

Even now just over 2 years later and I still would not be able to fulfil that dream as I have daily symptoms and side effects which leave me very sick and I have treatment once a month in hospital.

Because of my endometriosis, I can get exhausted from doing the smallest thing so a full day at a shopping centre can actually make me very sick. I get fatigue, nausea and migraines and have to rest in bed the whole next day just from being out all day before.

I have to plan everything I do because if I’m out in the day, I most likely will not have the energy to go out at night, and I have to time when I take my medicines and when I eat as I have a lot of digestive problems.

The worst part for me is the chronic pain as I get that almost every day, but I have learned to live with it and just get on with normal day jobs.” – Rebekah –

1 in 10 women experience endometriosis

As you can see, the condition affects every aspect of Rebekah’s life and is a daily challenge. Yet with endometriosis affecting one in ten women – that’s over 1.5 million women living with the condition!

We wish Richard luck, we’ll have our fingers crossed for a happy landing, and can’t wait to hear all about it!

MIH are committed, alongside Richard, to help raise awareness of Endometriosis, and to help others, like Rebekah, who have to live with this condition.

Find out more www.endometriosis.co.uk