For UEA student Gemma Bailey-Smith, getting around in everyday life can be difficult – and living with a long-term medical condition means it could get harder.

Gemma was recently diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or EDS, of which there are three main types: Classical EDS, which can cause fragile skin prone to bruising and scarring; Vascular EDS, which can cause weakness in hollow organs such as bowels and the womb, and the type Gemma experiences – hypermobile EDS – where symptoms include faulty connective tissues and hypermobility of the joints.

You can find more information on the various types of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome here.

As an Enviromental Science student, she often takes part in field trips and is aiming for a career in environmental consultancy – and doesn’t want her condition to prevent her from achieving her goals.

In the last few months she’s started a Go Fund Me campaign for an all-terrain wheelchair; but just how much of a difference will it make to her life? I headed to the University of East Anglia to find out:

Update: I can now confirm that after filming, Gemma received enough donations to be put down a deposit for her new wheelchair – and has posted an update on her Go Fund Me page revealing she has since been able to take part in a field trip to Devon, saying:

“THANK YOU to everyone who donated towards my all terrain wheelchair! (…) I am so excited for my next adventures in my environmental career but for now I just want to get out and get my wheels muddy!”

Frances Butler