A DETERMINED woman from Dunton Basset has set herself a challenge to ‘turn something awful into a positive’ by walking 1,000 miles in six months for charity.
Jo Sharp has taken up the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust’s (EPT) challenge to raise money and awareness for the charity, after she suffered a miscarriage which she says she will never fully get over.
Six years ago she was admitted to hospital after a suspected miscarriage quickly became a medical emergency – she had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and needed surgery.
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb. Affecting one in 80 pregnancies in the UK, it is the leading cause of death in early pregnancy and often damages fertility.
She said: “Every year on the anniversary I find myself in a horrible funk – grieving for what could have been, yet also filled with a deep sense of relief for the exact same reason. It sucks.
“The physical pain was temporary. The mental pain however is a different story entirely and I don’t think I will ever fully get over it.
“This year I have decided to try and turn my experience into something positive.”
She said women who suffer ectopic pregnancy have to face the physical trauma of major invasive treatment, the impact on their fertility, and the horror of losing their baby and facing their own mortality.
“While I can’t change what’s happened to me and thousands of other mums-to-be, I can try and raise awareness and hopefully raise a few quid to support the amazing work of the EPT in the process,” she said.
The charity’s challenge is to walk 1,000 miles in a year, but Jo has decided to do it in half the time – alongside her faithful terrier Alfie.
“I don’t like to do anything by halves so I will be pushing myself to complete this challenge as quickly as I can,” she said.
“I would need to walk 2.7 miles per day, every day, as a minimum to make it in a year – and I’m aiming to do it in around six months over winter – Alfie is thrilled!
“Your contribution will make an impact – whether you donate a little or a lot, anything helps.”
Jo has already passed the 100 mile mark and has raised £245 of her £1,000 target. Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/EPT1000 for updates and to donate.
Visit www.ectopic.org.uk for more information on the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust.
