I watched family members struggle with the symptoms – many without diagnosis. I became interested when I heard about HHT Ireland and the drive of this agency to raise awareness of HHT to ensure that patients get the answers and the diagnosis which will ensure they are better placed for treatment and planning their lives.

I got involved with HHT Ireland and volunteered to be a scientific officer before my diagnosis. HHT Ireland have afforded me the opportunity to represent them in the Eurordis Community Advisory Board (CAB). It is exciting to be among those who influence therapeutical research, repurposing of medication and exploring what can be achieved with patient input at early stages.

I was lucky to have supportive parents, good teachers and in my initial workplace, I worked with strong dedicated women. I was fortunate to avoid the challenges and the attitudes in my early working life. When I moved to larger organisations, I faced the unconscious biases, the antiquated comments, the assumed incompetence and had to listen to misogynist jokes. However, it was a woman who attempted career sabotage which illuminated that sometimes it is not always gender bias which creates a challenge in the workplace. Sometimes it is just the competitive nature, blinkered vision and single-minded career-driven focus of a colleague.

Trust your gut. Keep your long-term goal in sight. It’s easy to doubt your intuition if you continually run into obstacles, and obstacles might pop up more for women than for men. Do not ignore biased or inappropriate comments. They usually come from people who are insecure and incompetent. There is a wide variety of professional cultures, don’t settle for one that is unwelcoming and unrewarding. Be supportive of the efforts of others and encouraging when a colleague needs that extra push to develop themselves. Your mentor’s advice may not be right for you and that is fine too.