Model Kate Leyenda and her husband Vince want to raise funds and awareness
Vince and Kate Leyenda – raising awareness of endometriosis(Image: supplied image)
A Hull model living with stage four endometriosis is hoping to highlight the condition, and a local charity that works to support those affected by it, with the help of a challenge that her husband has offered to undertake. Hair model Kate Leyenda and her husband Vince have chosen a date in Endometriosis Awareness Month on which Vince will walk the Humber Bridge ten times – the equivalent of a half-marathon – dressed in a Super Mario costume.
The event, on Sunday, March 29, will be to raise funds and awareness of endometriosis and other related gynaecological conditions. Proceeds from the challenge will go to the Hull-based HEY Endo!
The charity manages a peer-run support group, full of people who have lived experience of endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS and other gynaecological conditions. Kate herself, as well as living with the “worst grade” endometriosis, also has adenomyosis, its “sister disease”.
Kate said: “I’ve had multiple surgeries, treatments and three times have been in chemical menopause, but it still grows back over time and is incurable. There is a significant genetic component, with studies indicating that having a first-degree relative – mother, sister, daughter – with the condition increases your risk by roughly 50 per cent to 150 per cent, so there is a high chance our six-year-old daughter, Ivy, will have it as she gets older.”
Kate, who has done modelling work for Wella, L’Oreal, Netflix and ITV, said much-needed attention needed to be drawn to a condition that affects so many women. Endometriosis is a condition in which cells that are similar to the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body.
A chronic condition, it currently has no cure and around 175 million women and those assigned female at birth have endometriosis, with it taking an average of eight years to get a diagnosis from the onset of symptoms. Kate has previously spoken about her experiences of endometriosis, including doctors accusing her of lying about her agonising pain.
She has also spoken out to encourage women to have their cervical smear tests. Kate said her life consists of “up and down“ days, “some awful, some good”.
“I can find myself back at square zero again,” she said. “You are always wondering when your next surgery is going to be, but you can’t let it ruin the rest of your life.”
Kate said of the Endometriosis Awareness Month event: “This is something very personal to us. It feels especially meaningful to be doing it during awareness month to continue highlighting the reality of living with this condition.”
Vince said he was looking forward to doing the Humber Bridge walk for a charity that does “brilliant work for the Hull and East Riding region”. He said: “I had this idea of wearing the Super Mario costume to raise more awareness.
“Men don’t tend to get involved in these type of things. Although the conditions affect women there are the knock-on effects.
“I thought wearing the costume might make people come up to me to ask me what it’s about and what I’m doing, which will all help with the awareness.” Vince, a former footballer, hoped his knee would hold up after having problems with his cruciate ligaments – “this is probably not advisable but I’m doing it anyway”.
He said: “Ten crossings of the bridge is significant in that it’s one in ten women who are diagnosed. If my knee holds up, I could make this an annual thing.”
Vince has set up a GoFundMe appeal page, with an initial target of £400 for fundraising. Calling it Vin-Ten-Endo, Vince said on the page: “Endometriosis isn’t just ‘a bad period’ – it’s a chronic, often agonising condition that affects every aspect of a person’s life.
“I’ve seen first-hand the strength it takes to live with this disease through my wife’s long-term battle, and on March 29th, I’m stepping up to show that she – and the 1 in 10 others affected – don’t have to walk alone. Vin-Ten-Endo is my way of standing up to this awful condition.
“Starting at 10am, I will be crossing the Humber Bridge 10 times – almost half a marathon – for a cause that hits close to home. I’m raising money for a local support charity called Hey Endo, to ensure that no one has to suffer in silence or without support.
“Whether you can donate the price of a coffee or simply share my page, your support means the world to us. Let’s bridge the gap in Endo care, one crossing at a time.”
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