Daventry woman clocking up the miles to support the organisation that helped her through ‘crisis stage’ of health condition

A woman who has suffered with a debilitating ear condition for more than a year is now giving back to the organisation that helped her during her ‘crisis stage’.

Christina Kennedy from Daventry, started to experience tinnitus for the first time after suffering an ear infection in 2019.

The 41-year-old’s tinnitus, which is the hearing sounds not from an outside source, became so bad she had a panic attack.

At this ‘crisis stage’, Christina called the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) helpline and the charity has helped her manage the condition ever since.

Now she is giving back to the organisation by challenging herself to walk 50 miles in a month, of which she has clocked up 35 miles with a few days left to reach the target, in order to raise vital funds.

Christina said: “I became severely distressed, anxious and constantly panicked.

“During what I call my crisis stage, I never thought I’d be able to live normally again.

“I remember my boyfriend taking me to the doctors in the car and I had a complete panic attack. We had to stop and I called the BTA helpline, I was so desperate.

“That phone call was the start of my healing process.

“With some help and a lot of determination to not let tinnitus control or define my life.

“I am now in a much, much better place, however it breaks my heart when I speak to people new to tinnitus who are deeply suffering and receive little or no support from their GP.”

All money raised from the walker’s efforts will be donated to The British Tinnitus Association, which has a vision of ‘a world where no one suffers from tinnitus’.

Christina is hoping that her fundraising challenge will also get people talking about tinnitus, improve awareness of the condition and raise the vital funds required to make sure people can access the support they need, as well as funding future tinnitus research, to ultimately find a cure.

The British Tinnitus Association’s fundraising officer, Jess Pollard, added: “Christina has overcome so much in the last year and we’re so grateful that she is now able to use her own experience to support others and to keep raising awareness.”

To support Christina, visit her JustGiving page here.

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