How its started
Carla first started noticing symptoms of endometriosis when she was just 13, but it wasn’t until she was 25 that she finally got a proper diagnosis, this was after years of being told her pain wasn’t serious and being misdiagnosed. By that time, the disease had already progressed to stage 4, causing infertility and severe complications like a frozen pelvis.
Even though she had been under the care of gynaecology from the age of 14, her symptoms were ignored, and this led to years of hospital visits with no answers. The toll it took on Carla was huge, not just physically, but emotionally too.
Her career was put on hold, and the pain she endured kept her from living her life the way she’d hoped. She ended up having multiple surgeries, including bladder reconstruction surgery, a hysterectomy and a stoma, and by the time she was 29, she was forced into surgical menopause.
Throughout all this, there was very little formal support available. Apart from her family and friends, there wasn’t much help, and that gap in support and understanding is what drove Carla to start The Endometriosis Foundation.
She created an online support group, held educational talks in schools, and started a national campaign to raise awareness.
Her hard work, supported by the late Sir David Amess, helped lead to the formation of the Endometriosis All-Party Parliamentary Group in 2018, which has been a major step forward in the fight for better awareness, support, and policy changes.

Pictured: Carla and the late Sir David Amess at The House of Commons.
"At its core, I want this charity to be everything I wish I’d had during my own journey. And I am deeply grateful for your support and contribution to this important journey".
Carla Cressy