5 days Ago By [email protected] (Sofie Jackson)
An East Yorkshire woman's charity is up for an award after providing comfort to more than one thousand women struggling with debilitating pain. Katy Phillips, 44, who lives near Hedon, suffered with pain for years, but said she was told she could have IBS. In the end, surgeons discovered she had deep-infiltrating endometriosis in her pelvis and a twisted bowel.
Her charity, Endo Buddies, has been nominated in the National Diversity Award in the category of Community Organisation Award for Disability. Katy said: "I started Endo Buddies in 2019 after my own personal journey with endometriosis. It took me 21 years to get a diagnosis.
"Throughout that time I felt very isolated, I didn't feel like there was any support available. I wasn't given any information - I've had four surgeries for endometriosis, and I've never been given a leaflet. "At GP surgeries, there are no leaflets, there are no posters.
There is no information, and I wanted to change that and turn my negative into a positive for other people. "Living with endo is incredibly difficult. It's one of the top 20 most painful conditions to have, according to the NHS .
It has a massive impact on your life and mental health as well." A survey by Endo Buddies found that 97.5% of people living with the condition claimed it had a negative impact on their mental health.
Tragically, 53.6% said they had thought about ending their lives because of endometriosis. Katy said: "It's insane, absolutely insane.
It's really sad to hear those sorts of statistics and that people feel that low and feel so unsupported." Wanting to change that for other endometriosis sufferers, Katy set up her surgery care package project and so far has sent out more than 1,000 parcels via Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary , as well as posting them nationwide. "People absolutely love them," Katy said.
"It means the absolute world to people to know that someone cares for them and understands and believes them." Inside, there are ear plugs, a sleep mask, throat lozenges, positive notes, a leaflet about endometriosis, distractions from anxiety, and peppermint tea to help with bloating. Endo Buddies registered as a charity in November 2023.
"It's going from strength-to-strength, really," Katy said. The charity is now in a partnership with Shout, which Katy said has helped lots of people. Anyone who needs support just needs to text ENDO to 85258 for free, confidential mental health support 24/7 (in partnership with Shout).
If people want to request a care package for their endometriosis surgery, they can visit the Endo Buddies website . To vote for Endo Buddies, visit the National Diversity Awards website ..
