FROM drinking nothing but water for a whole month to sliding down the world’s biggest slide, a trio from Chippenham will be doing it all to raise money and awareness for a rare inherited condition which affects the body’s connective tissue.

Friends Mary Meilton, Rhiannon Howe and Abbi Cooper decided to take on the challenge to raise money for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a group of genetic conditions which affects the connective tissue of the body and includes 13 different types.

Mary was diagnosed with EDS last year after an agonising six-year wait dealing with joint problems, dislocations, slow healing and gastric issues.

“I first started having symptoms when I was 12 but my doctors didn’t know what it was,” the 19-year-old said. “I only really got diagnosed because I challenged their decision and went private and since then the doctors have been great.

“EDS is not very well understood and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to do this challenge.

“The three of us couldn’t settle on one idea, so we decided to think of 12 and in January we ditched all other drinks and only drank water.

“It was really tough actually and I really missed juice but it went well.

“For February, we are planning to take on the Orbit slide in London, which is the world’s highest and longest tunnel slide, which we are all very excited about, apart from Rhiannon, who is terrified of heights.”

In recent years there has been a real drive to raise more awareness about EDS, for which there is no cure, and the group of friends hope to be a part of that movement.

“EDS affects each one of us completing these challenges, either directly or through friends and family, and we want 2018 to be the year we fight against EDS,” Mary added.

For more information or to donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/edschallenges2018.