A WOMAN from York whose daughter has been struck down with debilitating migraine attacks since she was a child, is taking to the skies to take part in a wing walk.
Nikki Jacobsen, from Poppleton in York, will brave the skies on July 21 and be strapped to the top of a plane to raise money for The Migraine Trust.
After turning 60 last December, Nikki decided to take on her wing walk to raise money for people with migraine because her daughter, Emma has lived with debilitating migraine attacks since she was nine years old.
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Symptoms of a migraine attack can include severe head pain, nausea, visual disturbances and dizziness. Migraine can have a huge impact on all aspects of a person’s life, from their education and career to their social life and mental wellbeing.
Nikki, whose 60th birthday wish was to do a wing walk, said: “I’m sure we’ve all experienced a bad headache at some point, this is not a migraine attack.
"From watching Emma, I can say multiply that headache by 100, take some red hot needles and pierce them though your eyes into your brain, then throw in some vertigo and a good dose of vomiting and there you have just one version of a migraine. She has endured years of trial and error with medications, often with horrendous side effects, before finding one that not only helps but that she can tolerate.
“There is no cure for migraine and fundraising in this area is still lacking, and this is why I would like to support this amazing charity. The Migraine Trust is dedicated to helping people affected by migraine. They are the only UK migraine charity providing information and support, campaign for awareness and change, and they fund and promote research.”
Nikki lives with her husband Mikey, and Emma - who is now 25 - lives in Swinefleet, just outside Goole, with her fiancé Joao.
After living in South Africa for 27 years where Emma was born and had her primary education, the family returned to York and Emma went to school at Millthorpe in South Bank.
Thanking Nikki for her support, Rob Music, chief executive of The Migraine Trust, said: “We are in awe and so grateful to Nikki for taking on this challenge to help people affected by migraine. She is an inspiration to people living with migraine, a condition that is debilitating and painful and affects many aspects of a person’s life.
“Not only is Nikki raising funds that will help support our vital work and those affected by migraine, she’s also raising awareness of this often misunderstood brain disease.”
If you would like to help people affected by migraine you can support Nikki’s fundraising for The Migraine Trust through her fundraising page.
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 migrainetrust.org.
To support Nikki go to justgiving.com/page/nikki-jacobsen-1683108292623.
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