Help me to fund essential healthcare.

Hi. My name is Daneka. I'm a disabled actor and writer working in the UK. And I'm sick.

For the past 16 years, I've been to-and-fro'ing the NHS seeking gynaecological medical support. I've suffered with extreme pain, heavy bleeding and a plethora of grave symptoms since age 13. After being hospitalised with sepsis after a burst ovary in 2017, in my second year of drama school, I endeavoured harder to get the support I needed, to no avail.

Fighting for those past six years, this autumn I decided to go for a private consultation. I had numerous scans, MRIs, CTs, blood work and my ill-health was confirmed. I have stage four deep infiltrated endometriosis - meaning endometriosis lesions across my cervix, bowel, intestines, ovaries and other internal organs - as well as diffused adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, diseased ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Through the NHS, there is currently a 3-4 year waiting list for the surgery I need. The longer I leave my conditions, the higher the chance I have of it causing cancer; and of devastating the little fertility I might have. I'm at the point now, if I don't receive the surgery within the next 6 months, I won't be able to work.

I've been forced to go private due to these extensive waiting lists. Years of not being believed, medical misogyny, medical sexism, medical fatphobia, on top of the crumbling broken NHS, has led to me being continually disbelieved and medical neglect which has rendered me disabled.

But what does this mean?

For the past 16 years, as mentioned, I've struggled with extreme gynae cyclical pain and heavy bleeding. In the past six years, since my hospitalisation, this has worsened to the point where I now need mobility aids to walk. I use a stick almost full time currently, and can no longer walk upstairs. The pain has spread from cyclical, to permanent, and affects my back, legs, pelvis and stomach. I also live with inflammatory bowel, due to the intestinal lesions, and have lost a complete control over my bowel function, as well as bladder. I have currently around 3-4 hours of working time a day, and am in debilitating amounts of fatigue each day.

Over this year, I have saved £7000 through working every second I can find, which has caused me worsening symptoms and sickness. My original quote for the surgery was £7500 including surgeon fee, hospital fee, and anaesthetist fee. Then, after receiving my latest MRI results, the endometriosis has spread so vastly and deeply through my internal organs, that the surgery can no longer be done by hand, and I have to have a robotic excision, which is around £12,000 (including hospital, surgeon and anaesthetist fee) to which no payment plan is available.

I am therefore looking for any support from any kind soul to aid me to cover this £5000 gap. I'm going to take a personal loan of what I can, but that isn't much. Having this surgery will not make me non-disabled, but it will greatly improve my quality of life. It will help reduce my daily pain, allow me to take majority control of my bladder and bowel function again, and minimise my symptoms down to a controllable amount.

A little about me... as I mentioned, I am a disabled actor and writer from the UK. As an actor, I've had the absolute joy to work in some of London's most prestigious theatres such as the National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe; as well a huge long list of magnificent regional and touring venues. I've written for theatre up and down the country, and have embarked in the past year into TV writing.

I am a fierce advocate and campaigner for equality within UK Theatre, and campaign relentlessly and tirelessly to improve working conditions for disabled people across the industry, and accessibility of the sector. I want to get well again so I can carry on this fight and make it a better place for all.

If I'm unwell, I won't be able to continue working. And I want to prove that people like me, from small rural places like me, can do this. And not only do it, but be excellent, succeed and be a change-maker.

If you can aid me on this journey, however much you can, I will pay it forward tenfold.

Love, light, solidarity.

Daneka xx