Migraine in the new workplaceP8-9

How I coped during lockdownP10-11

Issue 121 | September 2020

migrainenews

Migraine Awareness WeekP5

New migraine treatmentsP6

Give up for migraine campaignP14

Managing migraine triggersP15

Welcome to the latest issue of Migraine News. Since the last issue, there have been many changes in the world. When we published it in March, we were just at the beginning of lockdown and many people were adjusting to the new reality of working from home. Now it’s Migraine Awareness Week and we are emerging from months of lockdown. Regardless of these changes, The Migraine Trust remains committed to our mission of supporting people affected my migraine in the UK.

On pages 8 and 9, we give our advice on managing your migraine in the ‘new workplace’. In this issue you’ll also find stories of how people are managing their migraine during this unprecedented time. On pages 10-13, you’ll hear from people with migraine on how migraine has affected their work life during the crisis and on page 16, there is a letter from Molly, a brave seven-year-old girl with hemiplegic migraine.

There is also much to be hopeful about at the moment. On page 6, you’ll hear about the exciting new migraine treatments on the horizon. Later in the magazine, you can read about the incredible work that people are doing to fundraise for The Migraine Trust during this uncertain time. As a charity, The Migraine Trust remains as busy as ever. On page 14, you can read about our latest campaign ‘Give Up For Migraine’. We’ve also recently welcomed Emily, our new Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Manager, and four new trustees to our board. As well as that, we’re about to host our very first virtual symposium.

We hope you find this issue helpful and inspiring.

Welcome2 Welcome

3 News

5 Migraine Awareness Week

6 New migraine treatments

8 Migraine at work

14 Migraine triggers

16 Letter from Molly

17 Fundraising

18 Christmas card preview

Contents

The information and views given in this journal are not necessarily those of The Migraine Trust nor endorsed by The Trust. ISSN No. 0544-1153 © Migraine Trust 2020

TrusteesMichelle Walder (Chair)Dr Shazia Afridi MBBS MRCP PhDProfessor Fayyaz Ahmed MD MCRP MBADr Brendan Davies BSc MBBS FRCP MDDavid CubittGary GeorgeProfessor Peter Goadsby MBBS MD PhD DSc FRACP FRCPDr Kay KennisSir Denis O’ConnorDr Louise RuskSir Nicholas StadlenWendy ThomasMike Wakefield

The Migraine Trust is the largest charity dedicated to leading the fight against migraine in the UK. We exist to transform the lives of people who get migraine. We do this by funding and promoting research, providing support and information, and campaigning for people affected by migraine. Visit our website to subscribe to email updates and news, access migraine information and to learn more about The Migraine Trust including our support services, research and events.

4th Floor, Mitre House, 44-46 Fleet Street London EC4Y 1BNTel: 0203 9510 150 Email: info@migrainetrust.orgwww.migrainetrust.org @migrainetrust themigrainetrust

A registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1081300) and Scotland (no. SC042911)A company limited by guarantee registered in England (3996448).

2

NEWS

VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM

With the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the difficult decision was made to postpone the physical Migraine Trust International Symposium (MTIS) to 8-11 September 2022.

We are, however, delighted that content from the scientific programme will be presented virtually on 3-9 October 2020 in the Migraine Trust Virtual Symposium 2020.

This means that our MTIS Public Day will now take place on Sunday 11 October 2020. It will bring people affected by migraine and the world’s leading researchers together virtually to discuss migraine research and treatments. It is free to attend and you can see the full programme and book a place at migrainetrust.org/events

Over two thousand people completed our survey into the impact of the crisis on people’s migraine. It found that a large number (58%) of people’s migraine has worsened since the beginning of March. A significant number (46%) of people attributed it to increased stress, 18% reported that it was worse because their lifestyle is harder to manage now, and 17% because they can’t access the treatment/medication that they had been receiving for their migraine. It also found that 17% of people had appointments with specialists postponed or cancelled, and 8% were unable to get an appointment.

It is clear from the survey that the crisis is seriously impacting the management of many people’s migraine. To address this, we have produced new information for our website on how people can manage their migraine and access healthcare during the pandemic. We are also working with migraine specialists on new ways to help people at this time including virtual Q&A sessions with them.

THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS ON MIGRAINE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published its final guidance on fremanezumab (Ajovy). The guidance sets out how the drug can be prescribed in the NHS in England and Wales to treat chronic migraine. Chronic migraine is when a person experiences fifteen or more headache days per month, including having a migraine on eight or more of those days.

Manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals, it is one of a new generation of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) drugs specifically designed to prevent migraine. Migraine preventives are medicines usually taken daily to prevent or reduce the number and severity of migraine attacks. Current preventive options include drugs that have been developed for other conditions and then repurposed for

migraine, such as beta blockers or anti-depressants.

NICE has said that the drug should be available for patients living with chronic migraine who have already failed to respond to at least three other migraine preventive drugs. Patients who think they may be eligible and would benefit from this drug should speak to their NHS clinician about accessing it.

FINAL GUIDANCE ON USE OF MIGRAINE TREATMENT FREMANEZUMAB PUBLISHED

NEWS

3

Tell us about your role at The Migraine Trust

I am the new Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Manager, it is my job to lead, diversify and grow fundraising at The Migraine Trust to ensure we can continue the fund our research, support and information, and campaigning for change.

Where did you work before joining The Migraine Trust?

Before joining The Migraine Trust I worked at Children with Cancer UK. I worked there for eight years within the sports events, community fundraising and individual giving teams.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends, going to the theatre and travelling to new countries. Unfortunately lockdown has put this on hold, so have been keeping busy going for walks, rediscovering my love for sewing and taking part in lots of virtual Zoom quizzes.

Our brilliant new Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Manager, Emily Roff, joined the team in May. We caught up with Emily to learn a bit more about her.

MEET EMILY

If you were sent to a desert island and could only take one book, film and piece of music, what would they be?

That is a hard question… the book would be The Time Traveller’s Wife… film would be Dreamgirls, and the piece of music… it would have to be a bit of Disney, that always cheers me up.

We are delighted to announce that we have four new trustees. They are leading migraine specialist Professor Peter Goadsby, our former chief executive Wendy Thomas, and GPs with special interest in headache, Dr Louise Rusk and Dr Kay Kennis. They bring a wide range of knowledge and expertise about migraine to our charity, which is needed more than ever with the pandemic posing so many challenges for the migraine community.

FOUR NEW TRUSTEES JOIN OUR BOARD

WANT TO KNOW THE LATEST MIGRAINE NEWS?Our ebulletinStay up to date with the latest news about The Migraine Trust, and migraine research, treatments and best practice, by subscribing to our monthly ebulletin. You can subscribe by filling in the short form at the bottom of our website migrainetrust.org

Our blogOur blog Understanding Migraine is a hub for people with a personal or professional interest in migraine to read about the latest thinking on migraine, its management, and the migraine community. There are blog posts about aura, GP appointments, managing migraine, migraine research and the migraine community, and many more topics related to migraine. Read the latest blog articles at migrainetrust.org/blog

NEWS

4

Working with the Civil Service to help its employees with migraine With a workforce of tens of thousands, and one in seven people worldwide experiencing migraine, there are likely to be high numbers of people working in the Civil Service with the condition.

That’s why we’re working with the Civil Service for a second year in a row as part of Migraine Awareness Week 2020 (6-12 September). We’re collaborating with the Civil Service to raise awareness and increase understanding among the Civil Service workforce of what migraine is and how it can be managed at work.

Working across Civil ServiceThe campaign involves working with HR teams, mental health advocates and disability champions from across departments on developing their understanding of migraine and how it can impact on a person at work. It highlights the positive role that they can have in helping reduce the impact of migraine on employee’s working lives.

A key target of the campaign is people with migraine, to let them know that the Civil Service wants to help them manage their condition in their working life, and to encourage them to seek that help.

It is also targeted at everyone working in the Civil Service to raise awareness that migraine is a complex neurological condition that is highly prevalent and that they are likely to be working alongside colleagues who have the condition.

We will be undertaking a range of activities with the Civil Service during Migraine Awareness Week. This includes publishing a range of digital information and holding a virtual workshop on managing migraine at work for Civil Service employees during the week.

Through this work, we hope to create a culture where people are understanding of how migraine can affect working life and seek help at work when they need it.

MIGRAINE AWARENESS WEEK

5

AWARENESS

Migraine is a common headache disorder. The underlying biology is complex, involving a variety of pain signalling pathways, blood vessels and inflammation processes. More broadly, it is an inherited disorder of how the brain processes sensory information. Until there is a cure, the current management strategy will involve a treatment plan that includes acute and preventive treatment and lifestyle factors.

Why do we need new migraine treatments?It is estimated that a significant proportion of patients using currently available acute and preventive treatments find them ineffective or inadequately effective. In addition, many are limited by side effects, medication overuse and contraindications due to other underlying conditions.

New classes of targeted migraine treatments have been developed to meet the need for more migraine-specific treatments and they are bringing hope to people affected by migraine. Here is a summary of the two new acute treatment groups:

1. The ‘Gepants’This is a class of medicines that are small molecule receptor antagonists, designed for acute relief from an attack. They’re not yet available in Europe. There are currently two developed: ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) and rimegepant (Nurtec odt) with a third atogepant, expected later. They block the CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) receptor.

As an acute migraine-specific CGRP blocker, the natural comparison would be to triptans. Studies have shown that the proportion of people who will be pain free in two hours is smaller, but with the lack of an effect on other systems (for example they do not constrict blood vessels), they are better tolerated. They will be hugely beneficial to the significant group of people who cannot take a triptan.

Ubrogepant was approved in the USA in December 2019 based on trial results that tested the effectiveness on migraine attacks. It was effective in about a third of trial participants. Rimegepant was also effective in a similar proportion of migraine attacks in the clinical trials.

NEW MIGRAINE TREATMENTS ON THE HORIZON

BY RIA BHOLA, HEADACHE NURSE SPECIALIST

RESEARCH

6

2. DitansLasmiditan is the first of this new group of acute medicines known as ‘ditans’. Just like the triptans, it can block a number of the processes that lead to the development of a full-blown headache. Taken at the first sign that a migraine is starting, it has the potential to stop the development of the headache and enable the return to normal function. They can be used to treat migraine with and without aura.

How do they work?These are serotonin (5-HT 1F receptor) agonists. Therefore they turn on this specific 1F receptor, only found on nerves. This is unlike the triptans, which also act on the 1B receptors that constrict blood vessels. This means it can be used in people who would otherwise have been unsuitable for treatment due to a vascular or heart condition.

Lasmiditan (Reyvow) comes in tablet doses of 50mg, 100mg and 200mg to be taken as a single dose in 24 hours. As with all new medicines it is important to use it cautiously and with the supervision of your doctor. Some possible side effects are dizziness and tiredness and if they occur people should not drive or perform other activities requiring mental alertness during the hours they are affected.

Acute or preventive or both?

Headache experts may consider using these as both acute and preventive treatment. This is theoretically possible with the absence of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) effects and medication overuse issues, as those experienced with triptans.

Next steps, what should you do?

An important step to success with treatment is to find a specialist who understands headache and is interested in working with you and with accessing the new treatments where appropriate.

As a patient or person with troublesome migraine, you should remain optimistic and not accept that you have tried everything and therefore there is no hope of getting better. Although availability and funding on the NHS remains to be decided, they will open up the options for greater flexibility of treatment.

7

RESEARCH

RESEARCH

8

MANAGING YOUR MIGRAINE IN THE NEW WORKPLACEBY HELEN BALAMI, ADVOCACY OFFICER

As we arrive back in the workplace, many people will be wondering how to manage their migraine there. Here are our tips.

New workplace guidelinesThe government has produced Covid-19 guidelines that outline what employers are expected to do when employees return to work. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that they:

• carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment in line with the Health and Safety Executive guidance;

• develop cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures;

• help people to work from home and social distancing where possible.

Employers must also be flexible and ensure that people who have a disability are supported in work, this includes those who are working from home.

People affected by migraine in the workplaceIt is important to know that people affected by migraine are protected under the Equality Act 2010 if they are considered disabled. The Act defines disability as having a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This applies to people with migraine depending on how frequent their migraine attacks are and how they impact on the individual.

The government guideline also emphasised that employers should be practical, flexible and sensitive to their employee’s situation when working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. It is worth bearing in mind that the change in working patterns could affect your migraine. It could be useful to anticipate this and plan ahead of time.

Reasonable adjustmentsIf your migraine is impacting on you, you can ask your employer to make useful alterations to help you minimise the impact of migraine on you in work. Examples of reasonable adjustments include flexi-time, redeployment, reduced workload, frequent breaks, disregarding sickness absence, time off for hospital appointments, changing roles and working back shortfall of hours.

The current coronavirus (Covid-19) situation in the UK has caused a lot of uncertainty and disruption in our daily routine and work pattern. Since the government introduced lockdown measures, most people have had to adapt to working from home and sadly many have lost their jobs.

As the lockdown rules are being eased and more people are returning to the workplace, it seems unlikely that things will go back to normal. There are going to be many changes in the new workplace such as maintaining a social distance and more days working from home.

Some of these changes may impact on people affected by migraine.

MIGRAINE AT WORK

USEFUL RESOURCESYou can read up more information about your rights in work in our ‘Help at work’ toolkit on our website at migrainetrust.org/help-at-work

We have produced information on working from home with migraine that is available on our website at migrainetrust.org/working-from-home

You can read more information about how you can get support during the pandemic on the ACAS website at acas.org.uk/working-from-home and the GOV.UK website at gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-to-working-safely

9

MIGRAINE AT WORK

HOW I COPED WITH MIGRAINE DURING LOCKDOWNBY NICHOLAS COOK

The changes in working patterns have hugely affected many people’s migraine. We hear from Nicholas Cook on how he’s coped.

The day before lockdownMarch 22 2020: I didn’t sleep well. There is so much anxiety and tension in the air and no-one seems to know what is going to happen. I got up earlier than normal and it felt although someone had strapped a leather belt around my head in the night. The warm shower relieves me briefly and eventually my heavy footsteps carry me downstairs where I try to find and pack everything I might need for work; fruit, cereal bars, water, forehead stick, ibuprofen, Amytriptyline, Rizatriptan, prescription glasses for working, prescription sunglasses for driving.

I leave early amidst the feeling of trepidation of not knowing what to expect when I reach the office. The news on the radio seems to echo all of my thoughts as I drive. What would work look like? Will we wear face masks? How will we have our meeting at a distance of two metres? As I sit at my desk, the first email I read is facilities warning us of change. I see teams going around the building putting up signage indicating the building now operates a one-way system and only two people are allowed in the tea room (a very British problem). I only make it to 2pm before I stop my manager and simply say ‘I

need to go home, I can barely see’. I take a Rizatriptan knowing it will have kicked in by the time I reach home.

When I get in, I grab a drink and a banana knowing I will need it when I wake up and shut the cat in the kitchen so he doesn’t disturb me. I fall into bed with an ice pack on my head, willing it to end as even the standby light on the television burns the back of my eyes. I wake up many hours later to the announcement that we are officially in lockdown. I decide there and then that this isn’t the way forward. I’m a logical person and although I cannot explain my migraines much of the time, I could explain this one. It was brought about by the stress of this unprecedented situation. That moment things had to change.

Adapting to lockdownIt probably took a month to feel like I had adapted, particularly after the panic of trying to get my medication during lockdown. The dark thoughts and the negativity builds so readily and festers in one way for me. I missed my family as much as the next person; I have had to teach my parents to use technology so I could see their faces. Worst of all I have missed my twin nieces learning to walk.

I quite enjoy working from home with the exception of the initial system problems which we weren’t set up for. During this time, I had a phone consultation with a neurologist who didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know but reminded me of the importance of routine, sleep and

MIGRAINE AT WORK

10

exercise. He was right - this was key for me. Migraines are so personal and yet I knew simple steps to reduce and control them, as for me it’s about pain management and probably always will be. I eventually became grateful of those brief weekly calls where I could see the twins grabbing the phone or pointing at a book they wanted me to read.

Work-life balance and migraineMy work life balance has always been essential. I work 8am-4pm and am very strict about that. The fact that three or four days a week are now in my own home hasn’t changed this. Some of this time is at the dining room table which is terrible for posture, so I get up and wash-up or do tai chi stretches particularly in the absence of being able to get my usual maintenance massages. I resist the sweet cupboard and reach for an apple in the fruit bowl behind me. I have found pleasure in seeing people in the office that I haven’t seen for a month and remind myself that those small conversations or a simple smile may make someone’s day. I still go armed to work with my small pharmacy in my bag so in a way my work routine hasn’t changed that much (with the exception of a lot of time spent on Microsoft Teams).

As I write this, I have a had a good week – I have run twice, done three yoga sessions and two pilates sessions and taken no Rizatriptan. I have eaten well and I feel good. I can’t always explain the cause of my migraines which is something that people seem to find hard to understand. The stress and anxiety of the Covid-19 situation is definitely a trigger for me. I believe how we think and approach stressful situations is in our control so I will continue to work hard on this. I have stopped watching the news and found relief in simple things such as an online escape room with friends. Now all I wait for is the day I can hug my nieces…and what a moment that will be.

11

MIGRAINE AT WORK

We sat down with Lewis Kennedy, to chat about his experience of migraine in the workplace.

INTERVIEW WITH LEWIS KENNEDY

What do you do for work?

I am a Booking Clerk for a surveying company and an Emergency Call Handler for an ambulance service in the UK. Both are phone based, my full-time job is based at home and the ambulance service is bank which I do on bank holidays and some weekend nights when I have free time and work in the control room answering emergency 999 calls.

How does migraine affect your work life?

Migraine affects my work life in many ways, the obvious way is having to take time off work. Another way is migraine affects my mood, it leaves me feeling very low, moody and anxious in the workplace due to the repercussions of having to take time off work. Whether suffering with post-drome or in the attack, I’ve had to battle through it at work many times - it’s been extremely difficult. It can make me feel distant from work peers, and make me fall behind on work. Migraine is a terrible disease and it’s not probably understood in the workplace by employees or the employer.

12

MIGRAINE AT WORK

What do you find helpful for managing your migraine at work?

My employer has implemented a few things to help me with my migraine - less artificial lights above our heads, and frequent breaks when I need them. I drink plenty of fluids whilst at work which is incredibly important, especially when working on the phone. I work with a computer all day, sometimes two to three when at the ambulance service. So adjusting the brightness before the shift is also a key factor in ensuring I don’t trigger a migraine for myself.

Has Covid-19 affected your work life and migraine?

Yes, massively. I was furloughed from my full-time job for just under eight weeks. I went back to the ambulance service full-time, and completed eighteen 8-12 hour shifts to assist them in the Covid-19 response. In that time I never experienced one migraine. Thankfully my migraine knew to stay away! But working from home over the last four months has been easy to adjust to and has also helped me with controlling my migraines. It’s now something I am looking to implement full-time. (In my full-time job of course, with the ambulance service I am bank, so I choose the shifts I do with them when they need extra help).

13

MIGRAINE AT WORK

Migraine is not only hard for people who have the condition, but hard for their family and friends too. It is hard to see someone that you care about suffer. Many feel helpless and ask “is there anything I can do to help?”

We have launched a campaign that gives the friends and family of people with migraine a chance to support and show them solidarity.

What is the campaign about?Many people with migraine believe their migraine is triggered by certain things e.g. alcohol or hormones. Everyone’s experience is different, and some things may be due to the migraine itself rather than a separate trigger. However, many people with migraine avoid certain things to try and help their migraine.

It is often things that they like doing.

Our #GiveUpForMigraine campaign asks the friends and family of people with migraine to give up something they like doing for a month and to donate the money they save to The Migraine Trust.

This will not only give them an insight into a key part of what living with migraine is like, as well as show solidarity with and support for their friend or family member, and the migraine community.

How people can take part?• Pledge - Decide to give up something for a month

• Tell us - Fill out the short pledge form at migrainetrust.org/giveupformigraine and we’ll add you to our Pledge Wall and send you graphics to share on social media

• Tell everyone - Tell people on social media why you are taking part in the #GiveUpForMigraine campaign and encourage them to do the same

• Donate what you save - You can donate what you save to the campaign at cafdonate.cafonline.org/13604 or get your friends and family to sponsor you by setting up your JustGiving page at justgiving.com/campaign/GiveUpForMigraine.

GIVE UP FOR MIGRAINEHow friends and family of people with migraine can show their support and raise funds for the migraine community

14

CAMPAIGN

Many people’s migraine is triggered by particular factorsA migraine trigger is anything that seems to cause a migraine. Many people with migraine believe their migraines are triggered by certain factors such as diet, stress, dehydration, alcohol etc.

Lots of people try to identify things that could be a trigger in the hope of being able to manage their migraines better. However, it’s important to be aware that some things which are considered triggers may be due to the migraine itself. It also varies from person to person, and some people don’t have any known or identified triggers.

Factors people usually think trigger their migraine include hormones and menstrual cycle, stress, changes in sleep, changes in routines, environment (such as lights and sounds), missing meals, dehydration, the weather and certain food. Some of these things you can’t do much about and some may be linked to the premonitory stage of migraine rather than being a trigger in themselves.

The premonitory stage of migraineWe know that people with migraine have brains that like balance and are sensitive to change (e.g. preferring a

regular eating and sleeping pattern).

The premonitory stage of migraine is the term used to describe the stage of migraine before headache or aura, and may be referred to as the warning stage. It features a range of symptoms including mood changes, sensitivity to light and sound and cravings for certain foods.

These symptoms are often linked to factors that are considered triggers, and may be confused for them. An example of this is chocolate. Someone may have a craving for chocolate as a result of the premonitory stage (although they may not realise this is a symptom related to migraine). They eat

some chocolate due to the craving and then get a headache. This, understandably, can lead to them thinking chocolate is a trigger and then avoiding it. Although the migraine process

had already started and the person would likely have had the headache regardless of whether they’d eaten the chocolate or not. This example can apply to a range of factors including a bright light, certain noises or smells.

Trying anything that might help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine is understandable, given the huge impact migraine can have on all aspects of daily life. Managing migraine can be challenging for many

people and there is still a lot about migraine that isn’t well understood.

We don’t yet fully understand how migraine starts and causes symptoms. Although we do know the brain behaves abnormally during the premonitory stage in areas that may be causing the symptoms. For example, the hypothalamus which is responsible for the regulation of food intake and sleep cycles.

Based on the information available researchers think that some triggers are more likely to be early migraine symptoms, and avoiding them may be unnecessary and unhelpful.

Keeping a headache diaryIf people think something is triggering their migraine the best thing to do is keep a headache diary. This can include details about their migraines and any potential triggers. It can then be reviewed to look for patterns or connections.

If you do identify something you could consider avoiding it for a period of time and seeing how that impacts your migraines. Although it’s important to be aware it is unlikely that a migraine will be triggered by any one thing, and usually migraines occur because of a range of factors. It’s also possible that it will vary from migraine to migraine. You should also continue with the diary so you have a record of any impact from avoiding or removing a potential trigger.

OUR GUIDE TO MIGRAINE TRIGGERS AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM

the best thing to do is keep a

headache diary

15

CAMPAIGN

LETTER FROM MOLLYSeven-year-old Molly Benstead writes about her experience of hemiplegic migraine.

Hello,

My name is Molly and

I am 7 years old

. When I was about

3, I used to get v

ery sick

and funny feeling

s in my arms ha

nd face and legs

. I used to get sc

ared and wonde

r

what was happen

ing to me. After

I had been sick

and within a few

hours I felt

better and was l

eft with a funny

feeling in my he

ad.

After going back

and forwards t

o the hospital wit

h my Mummy and Daddy

we found

out I had been ha

ving Hemiplegic M

igraines. My Mummy su

ffers with these

so she

knew what my Do

ctor was talking

about.

I get very fright

ened when these

happen even tho

ugh I know what

they are now, a

s

I have no warning

. Sometimes they

have happened w

hile I’m at school

, while I’m at

swimming lessons

or when I’m at

my Dance lessons.

I used to feel lik

e I did not want

to go to any of m

y classes anymor

e as I didn’t wan

t my friends loo

king at me and

everyone asking w

hat’s wrong with

Molly. They say I lo

ok funny to them

, as I can’t

talk, feel my fac

e, stand, or use

my arms.

I get so scared.

I always hope I do

n’t get one today

, that I can feel

my arms and leg

s

and that I don’t

stay with no feeli

ngs as sometimes

my right hand i

s very weak for

days after.

Sometimes I feel

a little strange b

efore one happen

s and can tell my

mummy or

teachers. They c

an quickly give m

e some medicine t

o help my head p

ains. I wish ther

e

was a special tab

let I could take t

o take these pains

away for me an

d my mummy.

Even though I’m

only 7, I would lik

e all the other b

oys and girls wh

o also suffer wit

h

these funny atta

cks to try to be s

trong. That’s wh

at my Mummy te

lls me. You will

be ok. It is very

scary but one d

ay hopefully a ve

ry clever man or

lady will make

something magic

for us to take it

all away. So try

not to worry. W

e will all be ok.

We have to be str

ong.

Molly

16

LETTER

Mark WeatherallDr Mark Weatherall rowed and ran 2K for The Migraine Trust because he believes our work is more important than ever. That’s the equivalent of rowing from Ware in Hertfordshire (where the first triptan was discovered) to Queen Square in London (where the first UK migraine clinic was set up), and running back! Congratulations on your brilliant work Mark.

Becky and Siana BoothbySiana and Becky did a 15,000 ft skydive in July in memory of their brother and son Luke, who sadly passed away in March 2019. Luke suffered with visual migraines, this is the

reason they have chosen to support our charity. Siana and Becky raised over £1,100 for The Migraine Trust, which is an incredible achievement. We would like to offer a huge thank you to Becky and Siana for their inspiring work.

Lucy Ashley Lucy Ashely took part in The Virtual Big Charity Run, from 1 June 2020 to 30 June 2020, raising £250 for The Migraine Trust. Thank you Lucy.

Thanks again to all of our fundraisers and also everyone who has donated to support our most recent appeal. We couldn’t continue our vital work without you.

FUNDRAISINGSo many people do amazing work to fundraise for The Migraine Trust. Right now, we need your support more than ever, and these people are helping to make sure that everyone with migraine receives the support they deserve. Thank you so much to Mark, Becky, Siana, and Lucy for all the work you’ve done. Our charity couldn’t exist without people like you.

17

FUNDRAISING

Ways to get involved with The Migraine TrustIf you would like to get more involved in The Migraine Trust, now is the perfect time to do so. There are so many things that you could do to help people with migraine in the UK and we need your support more than ever.

Have a virtual Migraine Meet-upInvite friends and family to a relaxed coffee morning over Zoom. Have fun and socialise whilst raising awareness of migraine and much needed funds for The Migraine Trust.

Get involved in the Volunteer ForumThe Volunteer Forum works with our staff and trustees, and is a crucial part of the charity. Members of the forum volunteer their time and skills, acting as a resource pool and critical friend to The Migraine Trust by keeping the charity informed of the views and needs of people affected by migraine. The Volunteer Forum is open to anyone with migraine or a carer of someone with migraine.

Organise challenge eventsIf you’re thinking of taking on a physical challenge to keep yourself healthy, or if you had intended to take on a challenge before, you still can! Let your friends and family know you’re fundraising for us, and set yourself a challenge! Whether you want to hold a zumbathon or dance challenge, there’s many things you can do inside. If it’s a heftier challenge like a marathon or long cycle, you might find it easier to set yourself a portion of the challenge per day. Get yourself an app to track your route, miles and progress in meeting your challenge and make sure to keep everyone up to date with how you’re getting on so they know you’re up to the challenge!

Cards will be available to purchase from migrainetrust.org

Find out more about our Meet-ups, Volunteer Forum, and challenge events at migrainetrust.org/about-us/contact-us/

We’re excited to share previews of our 2020 charity Christmas cards. Our hugely popular series of Christmas cards are a huge hit every year. As well as providing a vital source of income for our charity, they’re a chance to show your loved ones you’re thinking of them during the festive period.

CHRISTMAS CARD PREVIEW

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Your details

Title: First name: Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

Email: Telephone:

Your donation

I wish to make a single gift of

£48 – to cover the cost of responding to an enquiry made to our support services

My chosen amount of £

I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher made payable to The Migraine Trust OR

Please debit my credit/debit card Complete details below

Card type: Maestro Visa Mastercard Delta CAF

Card holder’s name:

Card number:

Valid from: / Expiry date: / Security number:

Issue number (Maestro cards):

Signature: Date:

I wish to make a regular gift of £ a month/a year Please delete as necessary.

(Please note that to receive our journal Migraine News we request a minimum Direct Debit donation of £30 a year, £2.50 a month, to help cover costs.)

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit

Service User Number: 838322

Please pay The Migraine Trust Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the

safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction will remain with

The Migraine Trust and details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Bank/Building Society name:

Bank/Building Society address:

Name of account holder(s):

Account number: Account Sort Code:

Signature(s): Date:

I would prefer not to receive an acknowledgment for my donation today

Together we can beat migrainePlease support us and help improve the lives of people living with migraine.

continues overleaf>

The Migraine Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1081300) and Scotland (SC042911)18

GET INVOLVED

19

Your details

Title: First name: Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

Email: Telephone:

Your donation

I wish to make a single gift of

£48 – to cover the cost of responding to an enquiry made to our support services

My chosen amount of £

I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher made payable to The Migraine Trust OR

Please debit my credit/debit card Complete details below

Card type: Maestro Visa Mastercard Delta CAF

Card holder’s name:

Card number:

Valid from: / Expiry date: / Security number:

Issue number (Maestro cards):

Signature: Date:

I wish to make a regular gift of £ a month/a year Please delete as necessary.

(Please note that to receive our journal Migraine News we request a minimum Direct Debit donation of £30 a year, £2.50 a month, to help cover costs.)

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit

Service User Number: 838322

Please pay The Migraine Trust Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the

safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction will remain with

The Migraine Trust and details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Bank/Building Society name:

Bank/Building Society address:

Name of account holder(s):

Account number: Account Sort Code:

Signature(s): Date:

I would prefer not to receive an acknowledgment for my donation today

Together we can beat migrainePlease support us and help improve the lives of people living with migraine.

continues overleaf>

The Migraine Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1081300) and Scotland (SC042911)

September 2020

19

Staying in touch

Please let us know how you would like to hear from us?

We would like to send you news about our work, fundraising activities and ways to get involved. Would you like to receive updates from us?

Email

Post

Text

Phone

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

We will look after your details carefully and won’t share your details with any other organisation without your consent. You can change your mind at any time by contacting us at supportercare@migrainetrust.org or on 0203 9510 150. For more information on our privacy policy, please visit migrainetrust.org/privacy-policy.

.

Please complete the form below to Gift Aid your donation

Gift Aid Declaration

Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate.

I want to Gift Aid my donation today and any donations I make in the future or have made

in the past 4 years.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax

than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility

to pay any difference.

Signature(s): Date:

Please notify us if you wish to cancel this declaration, you have changed your name or home address or you no

longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

To find out more about The Migraine Trust, and to support our work, visit www.migrainetrust.org/support-us.

Please return this form to: Freepost RUAE-EGGG-KXKG, The Migraine Trust, Mitre House, 44-46 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1BN.

Issue 121