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We All Matter Eh? (WAME), supported by the Guernsey Disability Alliance’s (GDA), initiative to improve public awareness of hidden disabilities has this week launched its next phase. The initiative shares the experiences of local people living with a wide range of hidden disabilities. Individuals share their stories to create a better understanding of their condition and the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis.
This week, the campaign continues with a focus on cystic fibrosis and later in the week dementia. Cystic fibrosis is estimated as affecting around 10,000 people in the UK and one in every 2,500 new borns has the condition. Local teenagers Courtney Read and Emily Bray who have the condition, and their fathers Mike and RIchard have shared their experiences in a short video, sections of which will be posted on social media platforms over the next few days as part of the We All Matter Eh? initiative. Courtney is keen raise local awareness of the condition and has found that sharing her experiences and talking openly about her condition has helped her enormously:
‘My dad and I are on a mission to raise money and raise awareness of my condition in the Channel Islands. Being so open now about my cystic fibrosis has made me feel like I've had a massive weight lifted of my chest. I'm a much more confident in myself. I can phone and talk to people with confidence and not be frightened by it,’
Mike Read took on the challenge of crossing the Gobi desert earlier this year in order to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Guernsey and has played an active role in the WAME campaign.
‘People with condition can show and number of symptoms from chest pains from coughing to joint pain and even diabetes. Sometimes it’s just a bit of understanding and patience can make all the difference.’
Cystic fibrosis is one of a large number of mini campaigns WAME aims to run – each looking at a particular hidden disability, as Executive Director Karen Blanchford explained:
‘We are working closely with our member charities to look at a range of specific disabilities from brain injury to fibromyalgia, from cystic fibrosis to autism. Between now and the end of October we will be covering seven separate conditions. Social attitude and understanding have been identified as being the main barriers for people living with disability so we aim to improve public awareness by sharing these personal stories with them.
‘We are still trying to find funding for one or two mini campaigns and we are very grateful for those companies who have already agreed to support us – including the Co-operative Society, Specsavers, RBC and Ravenscroft.’
Anyone interested in funding a future campaign should contact Karen@disabilityalliance.org.gg
