Anyone who knows Ellie will have received nourishment in some form, from her cooking, warmth, kindness and sense of humour - I'm sure you'll all agree - Ellie is an incredible human. Her heart is enormous, she creates and shares the most nourishing food, holds and curates beautiful, welcoming spaces and is a kind, generous friend and member of the community.

For years, Ellie has poured love, time, and resources into supporting others — through working on many international and local projects supporting women, children and marginalised communities, as well as holding spaces for people to reconnect to nature through seasonal food, medicine and crafts. Now, she’s facing a significant health challenge, and it’s our turn to show up for her.

Ellie lives with a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes severe inflammation in her eyes — at times leaving her nearly blind, and causing a serious threat to her vision.

A couple of years ago, a major flare-up landed her in hospital, requiring intravenous steroids and immune suppression drugs to save her sight, deepening her long and often complex healing journey. Despite testing, there is still no firm cause as to why this happens to Ellie.

Since then, Ellie has been walking an incredibly courageous path — navigating both pharmaceutical medicine and developing her own deeply researched, embodied approach to naturopathy, herbalism, and holistic healing. She is devoted to healing in this way, investing in the lifestyle, treatments, and inner work required to live in alignment with her values and health needs.

After having a good response to the combination of natural and pharmaceutical medicine, recently Ellie trialled tapering off the immune suppression injections with the support of her team at Bristol Eye Hospital, with the goal of reducing the harmful long term effects of immunosuppression.

Unfortunately, Ellie is now experiencing a painful and serious flare-up again. Her eyesight is under threat once more, and she now faces the difficult procedure of having localised steroid eye implants in both eyes and the possible risks and side effects to her sight that are involved in the procedures, all while unable to work or live in her usual flow that allows her to thrive.

While the conventional treatments are urgent to avoid permanent damage to her vision, the alternative and naturopathic longer term approaches that Ellie is committed to come at a rising cost. There are many elements that could help Ellie better understand how to refine her treatment plan. Access to skilled naturopathic doctors, regular appointments, and diagnostic testing would make a profound difference in her care over the next 6 months and beyond.

Ellie’s long-term vision includes something incredibly sacred — she wants to bring children into this world and start a family. In order to do that safely and healthily, she needs to eventually come off the drugs, which have significant side effects including hormonal disruption, damage to her eyes, lowered long term immune response, and more extreme side effects like increased risk of cancer and organ damage. Supporting Ellie now means supporting her ability to create the life she dreams of.

Through all of this, Ellie continues to alchemize challenges into wisdom. Her journey through the medical system — as both patient and healer — is rare, brave, and deeply valuable. She is becoming a living library of knowledge around integrative, sovereign healthcare — wisdom she is committed to sharing for the benefit of all. Since embarking on this healing journey, she has invested £15,000 into training to be a naturopathic practitioner, showing her true belief in the healing power of our bodies and mind. With her studies on hold whilst she navigates this difficult time, she continues to hold the vision of healing.

Ellie has held so much for this community at home and many other communities around the world. She has nourished, guided, and given endlessly of her heart, and she has big plans to serve the community in the future by starting up a naturopathic clinic that offers affordable care in our hometown and online.

Now, we have the opportunity to ease the challenges and give back.

Any funds will go towards:

Diagnostic tests such as gene testing, hormone panels, vitamin and mineral tests

Targeted herbal and naturopathic remedies

Targeted therapeutic supplement plans

Regular visits to alternative care practitioners

Therapy and counselling support

Red light therapy

Rest and recovery

Every donation will help Ellie continue walking her healing path without the added weight of financial stress.

Thank you for showing up in the way that Ellie has so often shown up for others