Annabelle Griffin is a bright and happy five year old. She likes playing, and music and being a princess. Unlike most five year olds however, she is the driving force behind a newly registered UK charity. Annabelle, or AJ is she as affectionately known, has vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. VEDS is the most serious branch of Ehlers-Danlos, a syndrome that is not widely known of, especially, and worryingly, among the medical community.
AJ is at constant risk of a rupture of one of her internal organs due to a lack of collagen in her body, which could prove fatal. It can happen at any time, with no prior warning for her family. She was diagnosed aged 3. A detailed post on AJ’s condition and VEDS can be read here: http://bend-trend-hms.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/rare-disease-day-annabelles-story-life.html
It is living with this constant fear and dealing with EDS on a daily basis that led AJ’s family to start a charity- Annabelle’s Challenge. May is Ehlers-Danlos awareness month, and it has seen Annabelle’s Challenge become a registered and official charity in the UK.
Parents Sarah and Jared along with lots of support in their home town, Bury, have already put on countless fundraising events and built up a strong presence on Twitter. Trustees behind the new charity are now calling on local people in Bury and beyond to come forward to help with fundraising and share their skills to help expand their work. Jared says: “As a small charity the trustees will need volunteers to help with fundraising and awareness campaigning and we are very grateful to everyone in the local community who have supported us so far helping us to raise £15,600 over the past year.
It is commonly said among the EDS community that the syndrome, which consists of different types, is not rare, just rarely diagnosed. EDS awareness month has seen a rise in blog posts and online discussion, with people across the globe helping to spread information.
Ehlers-Danlos has a long list of symptoms and complications, and can make life seriously challenging. Jared added: “The worst part of the condition is not knowing when a significant medical event could take place, she could simply be sat watching TV and without warning have a spontaneous rupture of her internal organs which could kill her.”
Earlier this year Annabelle suffered from an accident at home, a trauma injury to her nose required an emergency visit to A&E and a subsequent operation requiring plastic surgery under general anaesthetic. Jared says: “It was a very tense and emotional time for us as we were unsure how the operation would go because her skin is so fragile, the medical team had knowledge of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome but not Vascular type. Unfortunately not many medical professionals are aware of VEDS – and this prompted our decision to register Annabelle’s Challenge as a charity.”
Annabelle’s Challenge will work with the EDS Diagnostic Service based in London and Sheffield to help provide support to newly diagnosed patients. It will also be raising funds to further the education of VEDS within the medical profession and general public.
You can keep up to date and read lots more about VEDS and AJ’s story here: http://www.annabelleschallenge.org/
EDS awareness month is continuing and by spreading information it can be hoped that people who either are affected directly or indirectly can gain more understanding of this complex condition.
The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Association website has lots of useful information and links: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/
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