Doncaster woman marching 100 miles to raise awareness of hemiplegic migraine

Sophie lives with hemiplegic migraine, a rare type of migraine that involves temporary weakness on one side of the body, alongside symptoms such as severe head pain, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances.

“As well as severe pain in the left side of my body, my head feels as though it is full of water, and I can't read or see properly. It is debilitating - not just the pain, but the fear of what is happening to me,” she explained.

Her 100-mile march equates to around 190,000 steps, representing the number of migraine attacks that take place in the UK every day.

Despite being a common condition (around 10 million people in the UK experience migraine attacks regularly), migraine continues to be poorly understood, with many that live with it facing stigma and the misconception of migraine being ‘just a headache’.

Sophie has lived with vestibular migraine for almost seven years. She is taking on the March for Migraine challenge for the second consecutive year to raise not only vital funds for others with migraine, but also much-needed awareness.

Sophie explained: “I've joined the March for Migraine fundraising challenge again this year because there is still so much awareness that needs to be spread. I took part in the challenge last year, and really enjoyed it: it was a good opportunity to start conversations about hemiplegic migraine.”

Sophie is drawing on her experience of completing the challenge last year to help her plan her walking around days when migraine symptoms are worse: “I struggled with walking some days last year because of my migraine, so this year I'm going to walk longer distances on my good days, to make up for not being able to do as much on the bad. Being out in the fresh air helps to ease some of my symptoms and shift my focus onto what I see and hear outside, rather than on the pain I am experiencing.”

Sophie will be fundraising for March for Migraine challenge throughout the month, to help the charity support more people with migraine.

Research by The Migraine Trust found almost a third (32 per cent) of respondents said migraine negatively affected their mental health. Through its helpline, The Migraine Trust provides free, confidential information and support for everyone affected by migraine and answered over 4,000 calls last year.

Sophie is keen to raise not only vital funds for those with migraine, but also much-needed awareness:

“Misconceptions about migraine mean that people who live with the condition may struggle to get the proper support - whether it be treatment, financial support, or emotional support to help us cope day to day.”

Thanking Sophie for her generous support, Rob Music, Chief Executive of The Migraine Trust, said: “We are so grateful to Sophie for taking on the March for Migraine challenge to help people affected by migraine. Walking 100 miles in a month is no mean feat, particularly for someone living with hemiplegic migraine. She is a true inspiration, and her efforts will not only raise crucial awareness but also help support the 10 million people in the UK living with this complex and often overlooked neurological disorder. We wish Sophie all the very best as she embarks on the challenge and thank her for stepping out this March to help people with migraine.”

If you would like to help people affected by migraine you can support Sophie’s fundraising for The Migraine Trust at https://themigrainetrust.enthuse.com/pf/sophie-croxall.

If you would like information about migraine and how The Migraine Trust can help you manage it, or how you can support the charity, go to https://migrainetrust.org.