Woman suffering from 'invisible illness' is nominated for award

A Preston woman who raises awareness of ‘invisible illnesses’ to help others has been nominated for a prestigious Positive Role Model Award at the National Diversity Awards.
Beth Gallery, 24, from Preston, rota co-ordinator at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) - who suffers from a number of conditions - has been nominated for a Positive Role Model Award at the National Diversity Awards.Beth Gallery, 24, from Preston, rota co-ordinator at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) - who suffers from a number of conditions - has been nominated for a Positive Role Model Award at the National Diversity Awards.
Beth Gallery, 24, from Preston, rota co-ordinator at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) - who suffers from a number of conditions - has been nominated for a Positive Role Model Award at the National Diversity Awards.

Beth Gallery, who suffers from a number of conditions and has a permanent feeding tube, has been nominated in the disability category.

The 24-year-old, who is a rota co-ordinator at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft), said: “I first got sick when I was 12-years-old and spent the majority of my

teen life fighting for a diagnosis.

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“When I was 18 I was diagnosed with gastroparesis (paralysed stomach), POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome) Ehlers Danlos syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.

“My daily life is very different to most people my age, and it’s taken me a long time to come to terms with the life I have been given.

“In lockdown I set up a social media account dedicated to raising awareness and supporting other people in similar situations. I now have 14,000 followers on Instagram.

“Due to my gastroparesis, I have a permanent feeding tube that goes into my bowel, and I am fully reliant on this as nothing I have orally stays down.

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“I’ve had this feeding tube for eight years, and growing up with social media started to become a huge mental struggle for me due to being very different to everybody else my age.”

The National Diversity Awards are in association with ITV News and aim to empower and inspire the wide breadth of diverse communities across the UK.

The awards are for people who inspire other individuals through their work, through their commitment to helping others, through their infectious personalities and through adversity.

Beth added: “After years of hiding my feeding tube and conditions from the world and trying to pretend I was somebody I wasn’t, starting my social media account was the best thing I ever

did.

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“I have connected to thousands of other people who are in similar situations, helped people fight for a diagnosis and embraced my life and shared it in the hope it would help others feel

more worthy.

“My main goals are to raise awareness of the conditions as most of them are incurable and I also want to be the person I needed when I was younger, and erase the stigma surrounding

invisible illnesses.”

Imran Chati, medical and dental HR business partner, said: “Beth is a fantastic member of our team and for her to raise awareness of her story to help others is a testament to her

character.

“In her spare time she does an amazing vlog on Instagram and is followed by thousands of people who follow her journey and who she supports as someone going through a real illness.

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“Please support her nomination to ensure she makes the shortlist and receives the recognition she deserves.”

People can support Beth’s nomination to help her make the shortlist by visiting https://nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/nominate/33203/

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