My sister Lisa is the most loving single parent to a little neurodivergent girl. Sadly, she is also afflicted with a life-threatening condition most are not aware of - PMDD.

This condition affects at least 5% of women in the UK, but the actual number is likely much much higher. There has been very little awareness or research into this due to systemic misogyny, for most of human history it has been written off as "female hysteria."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

At it's worst, PMDD is a condition that causes pain, exhaustion, and extremely irrational self-destructive thinking patterns that often end in suicide. To be clear - those affected are not in their right minds when it hits its peak each month. They are consumed by manic depression, even psychosis, and it's all related to hormone fluctuations and the brain's reaction to it - this also causes anxiety, severe depression and painful throbbing cystic acne (which is pictured), as well as intense sweating during the night (also pictured.)

It took over 22 years to receive an accurate diagnosis after dealing with dismissal after dismissal and repeated misdiagnosis by a deeply misogynist system that simply does not know enough about menstrual health yet, but in all that time she held out hope despite the PMDD eroding her quality of life. Her suffering cannot be overstated.

She hasn't been able to work full time for about 4 years because of her condition. She is currently on a career break for her health and misses her job so much. She is a nursery worker who loves to help children learn and grow. She's a natural with kids - she has such patience, care and understanding for them, she has the kindest heart and does all she can to care for the nursery kids. But right now, she has no energy for the career she loves so much, for a social life or hobbies, she struggles to look after her neurodivergent daughter who she does all she can for, she is running out of hope, and her physical pain and deteriorating mental health is beyond heartbreaking to watch.

The condition has worsened over the years, and since she developed fibromyalgia (which the PMDD exacerbates) she is under unimaginable pain and anxiety every month. My family are on suicide watch for her each month and have been for several years now. She has made several attempts on her own life which she thankfully survived. On her worst days, due to her fibro combined with PMDD, she can barely move. Her condition at its peak makes her genuinely believe she would be better off dead, that her daughter would be better off without her, that she will never be happy again. She knows that is all irrational and can recognise it as such UNTIL the monthly PMDD flares up - she becomes a different person. Her life is in serious danger each month. It is a psychiatric condition as much as a physical one. Despite this the NHS refuses to take her seriously, they will not treat her case as the emergency that it is.

I don't want to lose my sister. Her little daughter thinks the world of her mum and I don't think she would ever be the same if we lost her. My sister is terrified that one of her monthly episodes might end up leaving her daughter without a mum.

Imagine how terrifying it is to dread a certain period each month where you know you will not be able to trust your own mind.

Because of this we have been driven to going private, like so many in the UK with urgent medical needs who are being turned away and fobbed off. Her extreme reaction to hormone fluctuations which drastically affects her serotonin levels means contraceptive implants and medications and other nonsurgical treatments do not work for her. It HAS to be the full hysterectomy.

She has been given 3-5 YEARS MINIMUM on the waiting list by the NHS. She can't wait that long - she has suffered for two decades ever since her menstrual cycle began and it's only getting worse over time.

I ask humbly, please please donate to help us afford this surgery, I have never set up a fundraiser before but this is a truly dire situation. I cannot lose her. Her daughter cannot lose her. The system won't help us, we are at our wit's end.

We are all doing what we can to raise money, and I don't expect to raise the full 15k here (though that would be incredible!) but even alleviating the financial strain a bit would mean the world to us. No matter how small, your donation is appreciated beyond words.

I thank you all so much for even taking the time to read this, I really pray you'll consider donating. You'd be helping ensure a bright and wonderful neurodivergent little girl gets to grow up with the mother she completely adores!

Further reading on PMDD is available HERE , awareness is so low despite it being such a horrific condition.