Fundraiser inspired by personal loss
The challenge, scheduled for the 14th of September 2025, aims to raise vital funds and awareness for those experiencing debilitating sickness during pregnancy.
Pregnancy Sickness Support provides essential services, including a helpline, peer support network, and medical guidance for those suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a condition that affects around 1-3% of pregnant women and can lead to severe dehydration, weight loss, and hospitalisation.
Lauren said: 'HG is not just morning sickness. It is a misunderstood and under-recognised condition that leaves sufferers fighting not only for care but often for their lives. Many healthcare professionals have little or no training in HG, and as a result, too many women are left to advocate for themselves while being critically unwell.
'I know this all too well. Having had three HG pregnancies and losing all three to this devastating condition.
'During my pregnancies I was bedbound, vomiting over 50 times a day, and completely unable to eat or drink. Oral medications wouldn't stay down, and I was repeatedly hospitalised, often for weeks at a time. I was given five intramuscular injections every day just to try to manage the relentless nausea. These injections left me black and blue with bruises, and often in so much pain that I couldn't sit down without crying. I was also on the maximum dose of IV steroids, just to keep me stable. Every time I was discharged and sent home with oral medication, I would rapidly deteriorate, and within 24 hours I was usually back in hospital, severely dehydrated, too weak to stand, and uncontrollably vomiting.
'This condition didn't just affect me, it also devastated my partner, Kieran. He watched helplessly as I suffered, often having to carry me to the car, help me shower, he would wash and dry my hair, and do basic things I couldn't manage alone. We were terrified. We genuinely both thought I was going to die.'
Lauren went on to receive peer support through Pregnancy Sickness Support, from someone who had been through HG herself. 'I could text her whenever I needed, and she truly understood what I was going through. After my pregnancy ended, the charity provided me with counselling sessions, which I hand on heart believe saved my life. At a time when I felt completely isolated, suicidal, and heartbroken, those sessions gave me hope and a path forward. My counsellor was so patient with me, she let me sit in silence, she let me cry, she just let me be what I needed to be in that moment, and after eight weeks I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.'
Unfortunately, Lauren explains hers is not an uncommon story. Jasmine Ross, Support and Fundraising Coordinator at Pregnancy Sickness Support. 'Pregnancy sickness is often misunderstood, and we hear from sufferers every day, almost 3000 in 2024, reporting similar experiences. We hope this challenge will not only raise much-needed funds but also increase awareness of the impact it has on those affected.'
Lauren hopes to raise £1,000 through donations and sponsorships, all of which will go directly to Pregnancy Sickness Support to aid their crucial work. This sum could provide three HG sufferers with the specialist counselling Lauren received in the weeks after her pregnancy.
Supporters can donate or learn more about the challenge by visiting: Pregnancy Sickness Support: Lauren's Fundraiser – Help Me Support Women Suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum
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