A BROMSGROVE woman is set to make a short film to shed light on her rare condition which affects only one in every 5,000 women and she needs your help with the project.
Rebecca Walshe, aged 26, has Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome and is crowdfunding to create a film which will raise awareness and share the impacts of the condition.
MRHK affects the female reproductive system and is characterised by an underdeveloped or absent uterus and vagina.
Rebecca, an aspiring writer and actress, attended North Bromsgrove High School and lives in Sidemoor. The drama and musical theatre graduate says she knew something was ‘wrong with her body’ as early as 12-years-old.
At the age of 16, after years of being unable to relate to her peers during conversations around periods, she was finally able to go for medical check ups.
After ultrasounds and MRI scans she was told her uterus was absent but both of her ovaries were present.
She said: “I felt left behind and slightly ostracised by my peers.
“I carried this weight with me for years. I was so overwhelmed – I remember asking the doctor if this meant I was still a woman. I felt lost, alone and confused.
“I was not alone in these feelings. It can be intensely scary and, like a lot of health issues experienced by women, seems inherently taboo.”
Now Rebecca hopes her film, titled Four Letters, will spark a wider conversation and raise social awareness.
She added: “It’s so important to me that we get this project out there. Hopefully, our production can even be used as a resource for those who are diagnosed.
“Individually, we can feel very alone… but together we are sisters, united by MRKH.”
The film centres around a fictional character, Ellie, who embodies many of the realities Rebecca faced during her childhood and following her diagnosis.
Actress Issie Victoria, 19, who has been cast to play Ellie, said: “I knew I couldn’t let the opportunity slip away.
“This story is so vital.
“I want to let all of the MRKH warriors know that you aren’t alone and to never be ashamed of who you are.”
Rebecca will work with West Midlands based indie studio, Splendid Isolation Productions, to develop the film after successfully pitching her idea to studio co-founder and head producer – Lucy Woollard.
The script is written by Rebecca and edited by fellow studio co-founder, Morgan Taylor-Angeles.
So far, Rebecca has raised £100 towards her goal of £5,000.
Visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/mrkh-film to donate.
