New charity aims to get 500 legs walking – all leggy creatures welcome.

Following a diagnosis with a condition called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and then having to travel to the USA for help (as there were no NHS doctors experienced with the condition in the UK), and then discovering there were many many other people in the UK also struggling to find treatment and support, a patient recognised the complete vacuum of support for sufferers and founded a charity; Mast Cell Action in 2016.

Mast Cell Action supports sufferers of the little-known and recently recognised disease Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), where sufferers’ immune systems can have violent adverse reaction to the most basic and every day of activities like eating and exercise. Many patients, including babies have to survive on a very limited diet of a short list of foods. Sufferers struggle to find treatment for this frequently undiagnosed and often disabling disease.

Mast Cell Action works to raise the profile of the disease and support its sufferers. Providing emotional support and practical advice though our support community. Producing literature to help patients and inform doctors.

We are looking to raise funds to cover the development of the charity, e.g costs of attending medical conferences and producing professional “patient case studies” to highlight the severity of his disease.

This year for #givingtuesday we will be promoting our “500 Legs walking campaign” which will run throughout November and December, to raise funds to support the work of the charity. Walking the length of the Thames, accompanied by 15 different dogs for each of the 15 stages of his walk, one of our trustees, Chris, has already confirmed 62 legs. We are looking for people who would like to have a bit of fun and help to make up the other 438 legs he needs to reach our target. We’re also looking for as creative entries as possible. For example, if someone walked with a dog, a llama and a parrot that would make 12 legs!

You can get involved by setting up your own sponsored walk of any distance, with or without leggy creatures, or simply by making a donation to the charity. Find out more at https://www.mastcellaction.org/500-legs or look us up on Twitter @MastCellAction using #500legs.