Zöe is exhibiting a beautiful border design at the 2024 BBC Gardeners' World Autumn Fair. She is using this as an opportunity to raise vital awareness and funds in aid of the ADSHG. Below Zöe shares the inspiration behind her 'Talk in Space' design and her motivations for supporting our cause.

As someone living with Addison's disease and who has benefited from the amazing work that the ADSHG do, it is important to me that I help raise awareness of the charity and the condition. If I can support in any small way with awareness or donations, then I will.

I will be creating a 'Beautiful Border' for the BBC Gardener's World Autumn Fair at Audley End in Essex 30th August to 1st September. The theme this year is called, 'share my space' with an emphasis on community.

My border will be called, 'Talk in Space' which is a double entendre (also a talking space). Upright logs encircle a firepit upon a dry garden surrounded by interesting plants - a place to sit and talk openly with like-minded people in the fresh air and in a safe space. A lateral view turns the border into Space whereby the firepit becomes the sun, planets surround it and the rocky dry garden becomes like a lunar landscape, a telescope gives you the view - or perspective if you like. 

When you get a life-changing diagnosis such as Addison's disease, you need to be able to talk with others who just 'get it' and to do so in a safe and open way. Your perspective on life changes and sometimes you need to look inwards and other times you need to look at things more objectively, this border reflects that.

The ADSHG is great for providing information and education to patients and healthcare providers to support those with Addison's disease and I would like to support them in continuing to do this.

Addison's disease and the Addison's Disease Self-Help Group (ADSHG)

Addison’s is a rare endocrine condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones and can be life-threatening. It affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people, meaning an estimated 300 - 350 new cases are diagnosed each year across the UK, this makes it roughly 300 times rarer than diabetes.

Life-long treatment with replacement steroid hormones is required. Medication is usually taken several times daily at carefully timed intervals and individuals must also know how to administer an emergency hydrocortisone injection to prevent a potentially fatal adrenal crisis.

At the ADSHG, we are here to support the Addison’s and adrenal insufficiency community and their healthcare providers to promote better medical understanding of this rare condition, campaign for and support everyone affected by adrenal failure, and fund vital research.

Do grab a cuppa and have a read about what the condition is, what we do, and how you can support people you know who have the condition if they become unwell.

• What is Adrenal Insufficiency?
• Living with Addison's
• Emergency support - adrenal crisis
• What we do
• Other ways you can support us
• Get in touch

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Another big thank you from everyone at the ADSHG.

Zoe Defoe