Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of rare conditions that you may get if your parents have it. They affect connective tissue, which is the stuff that holds your body together. There are a few types of EDS: Classical, Hypermobility, Vascular, Kyphoscoliosis, Arthrochalasia, Dermatosparaxis, Tenascin-X deficient and many more. Hypermobility EDS is the most common of them all. The reason we’re telling you this is because Janettie Wucherpfennig is coming in today to talk to us about how she thinks it doesn’t matter if you are a bit different from others (she has EDS), and to prove this, she will climb to the foot of Mount Everest! That’s the tallest mountain in the world!

INTERVIEW WITH JANNETTIE

When are you leaving England?

I’m leaving on the 4th of October, and coming back on 24th October. It will take 15 days for the actual hike.

Where is it?

Nepal.

When did you start training?

October 2018.

Why do you want to do this?

It’s always been my dream to see Mount Everest with my own eyes. You can’t just drive up to it because there aren’t any roads so I have to climb.

Who are you going with?

I’m going with 11 ladies who I’ve never met before – they’re scattered across the globe – and I’m the only one with EDS. It’s also just a normal company.

What type of EDS do you have?

I have Hypermobility type EDS.

How does EDS affect you?

My joints ache in the morning, I bruise very easily, I dislocate joints – I can’t control it – and I get dizzy sometimes.

How can we help?

We must spread the word – it took me 12 years to find a doctor that knew what EDS was – its not very common. We need to raise money for a cure as well, as there’s no known cure.

Jannettie has taught us a very important and valuable lesson that – hopefully – we will remember all of our life: BETTER OOPS THAN WHAT IF.