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My Fundraising Chest Wax!

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Category: Fundraising

Published on Monday, 31 October 2011 15:15

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On the 17^th September 2011, I completed the challenge of having all my chest hair waxed off! A family member agreed to do the waxing for me and ensured that I went through as much pain as possible. I went from having a carpet of hair on my chest and stomach to being totally bald and feeling quite raw from pain in the matter of 30–40 minutes.

The reason I did this challenge was two-fold, firstly it was to say that my wife, Natalie, puts up with constant pain from FM and ME and I was willing to go through a short amount of pain to walk in her shoes for a short time and raise awareness about the pain that she goes through. Secondly, I wanted to raise money and awareness of the great work that the charities FMA UK and MEA do for sufferers and their families.

Both ME and FM are debilitating conditions and have a huge effect on Natalie’s quality of life. She is in constant pain and has to plan what activity she can do because she becomes incredibly fatigued and needs to rest and sleep for long periods following activities such as having a shower or going shopping. These conditions are known as ‘hidden illnesses’ as she can look as if she is perfectly healthy. It is not known what the prognosis is for Natalie and whether she will have these conditions for the rest of her life or whether the symptoms will ease over time.

The amount of money for research into these conditions and looking for cures or ways to manage them is limited. Families and carers who live with people who suffer from these conditions sometimes find it difficult to understand and cope and the work of FMA UK and MEA as charities is invaluable to sufferers and their families.

In the process of doing this challenge, I have managed to raise approximately £200 (£100 for each charity) and I’m still waiting for a few more donations to come in. The pain was worth every penny if it raises awareness and helps other sufferers and families cope with these terrible conditions.

By Mark Cowdell