Help Silvi raise money

On June 3rd, I will be participating in The Run to End Endo in support of my amazing sister, Selina. She has been battling the symptoms of endometriosis for 7 years, and was finally diagnosed last year. 

Selina is an absolute warrior. Through all the pain she experiences from endometriosis, she still maintains her sunny attitude and personality. I am proud of her for the strength she shows every day. 

Still, it is difficult to see my sister in so much pain so often. She has been lucky to find a great team of endometriosis specialists. With their help, she will be undergoing IVF in the near future before having invasive excision surgery to remove the large growths and adhesions in her abdomen caused by endometriosis. 

We know that there is currently no cure for this painful full-body disease. I hope that continued fundraising efforts like this will continue to raise awareness and increase research for endometriosis so that we may soon find better treatments or a cure. 

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Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people born with female reproductive organs. It occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (lines the uterus), grows outside of the uterus and onto other organs throughout the body (most commonly on ovaries, bowel, bladder and diaphragm) forming lesions, nodules, cysts and adhesions.

This causes immense pain, nausea, vomiting, infertility, gastrointestinal problems and internal scarring, to name a few of the challenging ongoing and recurring symptoms. Endometriosis is more than just a reproductive system disease, it is a full body disease. 

There is no known cause or cure for endometriosis. Often times it takes many years of suffering before one receives an accurate diagnosis. This is due to lack of funding from the government for research and resources, a lack of knowledge and awareness in the medical community, as well as a lack of awareness in society as a whole. Unfortunately, this is largely to do with the stigma that still surrounds menstruation and women’s health issues. 

Some progress has already been made. In March, 2022 Ontario became the first province to hold an endometriosis awareness month after a private member’s bill asked that the disease be given attention. But doctors say more specialized diagnostic and treatment centres are needed, like the ones being planned in Australia and considered in France. 

Current management treatments include suppressive hormonal therapy; GnRH agonists with severe, sometimes irreversible side effects; and invasive abdominal excision surgery.

Research is being done worldwide to investigate new ways to treat and manage this complex disease. However, more funding is needed to support and accelerate this process. 

We ask you to please join us in raising awareness and fighting for a cure. By donating to The Endo Network’s “Run to End Endo” fundraiser, you will be helping this charity to raise awareness, initiate more educational programming, further build their support network and reduce current barriers to research, diagnosis, and treatment. 

Thank you so much for your ongoing support!