From golf club to Commons, we've come a fair way
Guests at our recent Rochdale fundraiser were the first to hear that the good cause they were backing were on the way to Parliament.
And the news came straight from an MP at the podium.
Heywood and Middleton North member Elsie Blundell praised our charity in front of a packed room at a Rochdale Golf Club quiz night.
She then announced that we would be accompanying her to Westminster, to give MPs some much needed answers on why women wait a decade for proper treatment for a hellish blight harming one-in-ten of them.
Endometriosis occurs when cells usually found in the womb adhere to other organs causing agonising pain. The situation is made even worse by medical ignorance, which often means a decade-long wait for a diagnosis.
This lack of care and wearing pain means half of sufferers have dark thoughts, while many lose their career and aren't able to have a family.
"As if all of these problems were not difficult enough, women in the North face a far longer wait to find out if they have endo, than women in the South" said Dr Anita Sharma, founder of Endometriosis Awareness North. "That is down to a dearth of expertise, a lack of resources, and even stigma in some of our BAME communities. These issues can only be solved by decision-makers."
Our team will join politicians of all persuasions at a specially convened All Party Parliamentary Group in Westminster in October. Much of the groundwork for this has been done by Elsie Blundell, who has been amongst the first politicians EVER to ask questions in The House about endo.
Also featuring a game of Play Your Cards Right and a session of stand-up Bingo, the full house fundraiser heard from Rochdale Mayor Councillor Faisal Rana plus local schoolteacher Laura Culshaw, whose education and career have been so affected by her endometriosis. It was attended by sponsoring businesses and organisations including the British International Doctors Association (BIDA) and the Pink Chai breast cancer campaign.
"Laura was one of several women with endo who attended our event and sadly their pain was obvious as these young women had walking sticks or were clutching at their stomachs" continued Dr Sharma, "yet all were there to give their testimonies and show why they are called Endo Warriors.
Yes, it is my belief that they deserve better, but at least in Rochdale we are creating a groundswell of support for them and becoming the community who cares most about endometriosis."
A smoking blog
Our recent news items on endo, cigarettes, and the Stoptober campaign, sparked quite a reaction.
So much so, that our founder Dr Sharma has now written a blog on the subject.
There is such confusion around whether cigs accelerate endometriosis - a conundrum caused once again by a dearth of research.
But the good doctor is certain about one thing.
Giving up is NEVER a bad idea.
Read her new blog at BLOGS
What a premier find!
Look what we discovered in the archives - our founder Dr Anita Sharma in the company of a soon-to-be Prime Minister!
Premier Andy Burnham visited many health events in his role as elected Greater Manchester Mayor - including a showcase event for our charity in Oldham.
While the fight for health equality and a better recognition of endometriosis is deeply political, we work with politicians of all persuasions to push the issue forwards.
We will shortly have some major news on the Westminster front, which we will share with you.
Meanwhile, if you are a mover or shaker in the world of politics, why not email us at endometriosisawarenessnorth@gmail.com
We need diagnosis times to go down and society to take endometriosis more seriously - and YOU can help us.
Investigating bowel endo
The second of our Endo Unfiltered podcasts tells the story of a Maths teacher who, after years of symptoms, found a diagnosis of endometriosis finally added up.
Laura Culshaw – who also featured in our recent film with Shipley College #UNHEARD – had to wait for an MRI scan to finally get medics to acknowledge she had bowel endometriosis. This after years of heavy bleeding, agonising bowel movements, and enough painkillers to “floor a horse.”
She is joined on the show by consultant gynaecologist Dr Sujata Gupta, and the founder of our charity, GP Dr Anita Sharma.
You can listen to the broadcast by going to:
YouTube:
https://youtu.be/4T0FCwmJgCs?is=C_ilo86zWGRgc4gg
Back our battle to raise awareness of endometriosis by going to https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/donate
Find out what we're really about, on film
Click onto our brand new movie, detailing what Endometriosis Awareness North is all about Endometriosis Awareness North - YouTube
Featuring our treasured case study Courtney, it also gives medics a platform to call for quicker diagnosis of endometriosis.
With thanks to filmmakers Andrea Bertozzi and Pete Gibson Media.
Donate
We are registered with The Charity Commission. Our charity number is 1212676.
You can do your bit to research a cure to endo and support the one-in-ten women with the condition by going to our DONATE page.