A YORK woman is preparing to take on an epic 190-mile coast to coast trek to support people who suffer from migraines - which she lives with herself.

Daisy Swaffer, who lives in the city, will be taking on an exciting coast to coast walk for The Migraine Trust. In just 20 days, she plans to walk from St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay to raise funds for the trust - which helps people with migraines.

Daisy 42, has lived with migraines for the past 13 years and it has had a huge impact on her life. Symptoms of a migraine attack include headache, nausea, visual disturbances and dizziness. The condition can affect people’s ability to work, go to school and socialise - and can take a significant toll on mental health.

Daisy said: "Migraines started for me when I was 29, in 2009, after a period of intense stress. I'd always had headaches before then but I really wasn't prepared for what migraine would be like and the first time it happened, I thought I was having a brain haemorrhage, I thought I was going to die.

"I tried everything there was to try but my migraines only worsened. I had to leave my job in IT and stop working altogether in 2017 due to my migraine. Stopping work has helped me although in no way has it cured my migraines.

“I am doing this challenge because walking has really helped me, and when I was diagnosed with migraine, it was hard to know what was good information and what was bad. The Migraine Trust was, and remains to be, my one reliable place I know I can always find out information about migraines, treatments, preventatives, research and workplace advice.

"I know The Migraine Trust is always working on researching and fighting for not only a cure for migraine but for better quality of life for all migraineurs and importantly raising awareness about what migraine really is and the impact of it.”

Thanking Daisy for her support, Rob Music, chief executive of The Migraine Trust, said the team are "so grateful" to Daisy for taking on this challenge to help people affected by migraine.

Mr Music said: "Daisy is an inspiration and, as she herself knows, migraine is debilitating and painful and affects many aspects of a person’s life.

“Not only is Daisy raising vital funds that will help support our work and those affected by migraine, she is also raising awareness of this often misunderstood brain disease. We wish Daisy all the very best for her coast to coast walk and hope she has a very long rest afterwards."

If you would like to help people affected by migraines, you can support Daisy’s fundraising through her fundraising page at: https://bit.ly/3cez3rz