Preston mum taking on 'virtual' London Marathon to help daughter with endometriosis

A Preston mum is taking on a "virtual" London Marathon to help raise funds for her chronically ill daughter.
Preston mum Fay Morne is taking on the London Marathon to help raise funds for her daughter who suffers from endometriosis.Preston mum Fay Morne is taking on the London Marathon to help raise funds for her daughter who suffers from endometriosis.
Preston mum Fay Morne is taking on the London Marathon to help raise funds for her daughter who suffers from endometriosis.

Fay Morne was devastated when she found out only elite athletes would be allowed to take part in this year's London Marathon due to coronavirus restrictions. Fay was set to take part in the original event, which is usually also open to amateur runners, on Sunday, April 26, in aid of her 22-year-old daughter, Kia, who has endometriosis.

In this crippling condition, tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow, thicken and bleed in other places, such as the ovaries, bladder, bowel, and along the pelvis and Fallopian tubes. When this lining breaks down, it has nowhere to go, which can result in extreme pelvic pain, inflammation, fatigue, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, severe bleeding and difficulty becoming pregnant.

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Knowing how much the illness impacts her daughter, determined mum Fay refuses to give up on her mission and now plans to run 26.2 miles around Preston as part of The Virtual 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, October 4. The 45-year-old hopes to help Kia, who faces fertility issues following treatment for endometriosis, raise at least £5,000 to have her eggs frozen.

Fay (left) with her daughter Kia, who is fund-raising to have her eggs frozen as she faces fertility problems following treatment for endometriosis.Fay (left) with her daughter Kia, who is fund-raising to have her eggs frozen as she faces fertility problems following treatment for endometriosis.
Fay (left) with her daughter Kia, who is fund-raising to have her eggs frozen as she faces fertility problems following treatment for endometriosis.

Kia, who was put into artificial menopause at age 19 due to extreme period pain, said: "Mum was upset she couldn't do it because it has a sentimental meaning for her. It's another thing Covid-19 has ruined."

The UCLan student nurse started to suffer from abdominal pain, nausea and bowel problems at age 14. She began fainting a year later due to heavy bleeding during her period and was misdiagnosed with food poisoning, allergies and irritable bowel syndrome. Her periods were erratic, and she went from missing one for seven months to ending up in A&E because of heavy blood loss.

After switching GPs, she was referred her to a gynaecologist and underwent surgery, before finally being diagnosed with moderate to severe endometriosis.

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After medication failed to help her, Kia was put into artificial menopause for six months to help reduce the growth of unwanted tissue. But the injections shut down her ovaries, putting her at risk of infertility.

UCLan student nurse Kia was put into artificial menopause at age 19.UCLan student nurse Kia was put into artificial menopause at age 19.
UCLan student nurse Kia was put into artificial menopause at age 19.

Life then took a scary turn when the treatment came to an end and she suffered so much blood loss that she ended up in hospital for a week, forcing her to go back into menopause.

She then decided to come out of it and freeze her eggs due to fears of ovary damage, and will instead be fitted with a hormone-releasing coil and undergo surgery to cut away the endometriosis tissue. Egg-freezing, however, is unavailable on the NHS to those with the condition, unless they are undergoing treatment for cancer.

That's why Kia has decided to fund-raise for the procedure and has so far amassed £1,495 - but her mission has been limited by Covid-19 restrictions.

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Fay, however, remains undeterred, and despite having an automatic place in the London Marathon next spring, she is determined to help boost Kia's total before the end of the year.

Fay said: "It will be hard work doing it without the marathon's usual atmosphere as it's a long way to run and there's usually a party at the start of the race with bands and crowds cheering you on.

"However, I have a job to do and lots of people are donating money, so this is an alternative way of doing it."

For more information about the condition, visit https://endometriosis-uk.org/

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