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The Painathon
In September 2022 a thrush infection changed my life.
It did neurological damage to my vulva vestibule and it took me 2 years to be diagnosed.
I was waiting 9 months on a gyno waitlist in active pain only to be told I was in the wrong department.
They had no idea what was wrong and I had to see a vulva dermatologist - another 6 month wait. Who then told me I had to see a neurologist - another 18 month wait - I am still waiting.
This experience inspired The Painathon - a twist on the London Marathon to highlight to agonizing wait times 760,000 women face just to be seen by a consultant in the UK. Many commit suicide waiting as they lose hope and cannot cope with the pain they’re in, see Nicola Thyne’s experience. That or their condition kills them - like in the case of Freya who died of lung collapse caused by thoracic endometriosis.
Me and my incredibly supportive creative partner Dan put this campaign together in the space of three weeks and got millions of eyeballs on a huge overlooked issue.
Shot by Georgie Wileman who lives with endometriosis herself, we captured the pain of Nat and Evie, both women’s health campaigners – Evie being a trustee of Women’s Health Hope a charity campaigning for change. We showcased their real scars and wait times on bespoke painathon bibs.
These formed the basis for a guerilla OOH campaign that featured along London marathon sites.
Posters drove traffic to an online fundraiser raising a symbolic £27k for the women waiting over a year for NHS care.
Women also got involved online - sharing their wait times through social media hashtag #painathon.
We caught the attention of national press, WHH founder - Monica being interviewed by the BBC about The Painathon and myself being invited on Naga Munchetty’s Time of the Month slot on BBC5 Live. 26 publications featured the campaign’s story.
We are about to send a final message to Wes Streeting to pressure government to double down on this issue. Watch this space.