Fundraising for QENDO!

I am so excited to announce that I will be partnering with QENDO for my Yukon 2025 Canoe Trip! 

QENDO is an incredible service here in Queensland that works to improve the life of and support for people with Endometriosis. I will be raising funds for QENDO to resource a staff member to be on-call support for those with endo. The QENDO hotline is an incredible support line that currently relies on volunteers and users can leave a message and receive a call back when a volunteer is available. By resourcing this phone line, we can ensure there is someone to pick up the phone when someone calls and get help straight away! 

So why does this matter to me?

As you probably know by now, I have Stage 4 Endometriosis. The condition is very complex and can present in many different ways. Every person with endometriosis will have a unique experience and will need unique care. Our medical system is very specialised, meaning that getting holistic healthcare that looks at all your symptoms, challenges and solutions is very difficult. As a result, many people with the condition have to navigate multiple health care practitioners and services. Additionally, there is a lot of conflicting information, limited research and although awareness is increasing, there are still health practitioners who can lack training and understanding of the condition. As a result, people with endometriosis can often have moments where they are paralysed and don’t know what step to take next, or how to get the care they need. Having a hotline with a professional to guide you in these moments not only helps you get the help you need, but is reassuring, calming and important for psychological safety. 

So I am aiming to fundraise a whopping $90,000 to cover the wages for a nurse navigator for the year! 

You can read all about QENDO here: https://www.qendo.org.au/about. They are one year older than me, and have been supporting people with Endo for more than 35 years. QENDO also supports volunteers to get skilled up and knowledgeable so they can help the community to better understand endo. I’ll be training with QENDO so that I can skill up and get better at that too. Apart from raising funds, I’ll be helping QENDO in their awareness raising too! 

As someone with Stage 4 endo, I know that my health care journey will continue and I will need the support of services like QENDO. I have found many ways to continue living the life I love around my endo, but I will still continue to need guidance and care. I hope that this helpline will continue to thrive and help people like me get the support we need.