Support #myEDSchallenge and help me reach my goal!

I have joined the May Awareness Month Challenge to spread awareness and raise funds to support The Ehlers-Danlos Society by participating in the EDS challenges this year to bring awareness and funds to help research for EDS. Please support me by donating to my fundraising page. Together, even a small amount can make a huge difference!

As you may know, I'm pretty new to the world of EDS but have dealing with its effects my entire life. For me, it started with knee pain, but my parents saw something wrong with my floppy legs from birth. Doctors didn't have an answer and told my parents I was probably fine. When my knee pain started some doctors said growing pains, others thought I was trying to get out of gym class. Around my early 20s the stomach problems began - cramping and pain in my upper GI tract made it nearly impossible to eat and I lost over 40 pounds in the course of two months. Countless doctor visits and ER trips led to no help. It eased off on its own. Today I am working hard to live a full and enriching life, to build a career, while having little time to work due to fatigue, hours of physiotherapy everyday and the unpredictability of my symptoms. I currently have subluxations and dislocations daily, daily headaches, intestinal dysmotility, dumping syndrome, and a list of other related issues. But I am one of the lucky ones. For some people this syndrome is a LOT worse.

Finding a diagnosis was very difficult because there aren't many doctors who really even know about EDS or the many body systems it can affect. It's a syndrome that can lead to many surgeries, neurological problems, feeding tube and ostomies for some people and is rarely contained to the joint dislocations and stretchy skin it is known for. Increased awareness can help people get the help they need faster since more doctors will be able to diagnose and more treatment centres will be opened. Research can help slow the progression of these issues, bring better management, and maybe even find a "cure."

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of heritable connective tissue disorders that produce a spectrum of complex problems across multiple systems of the body. Symptoms that are often seen across all types are hypermobile joints, (that can move farther than normal), stretchy skin, & fragile tissues. Each case is unique and severity may range dramatically, even within families.

The Ehlers-Danlos Society is a global community dedicated to saving & improving the lives of those affected by the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, hypermobility spectrum disorders, & related conditions. Our goal is world-wide awareness and better quality of life for all who suffer from these conditions, regardless of geography.

Please support me as I overcome my challenges with EDS to participate in the challenges by donating. Thank you!