Lingerie entrepreneur conquers chronic illness
Inspirational female entrepreneur from Essex conquers illness & launches a lingerie brand
When Ella Vine was bedbound last year suffering from fibromyalgia & M.E. (chronic fatigue syndrome) symptoms she would have never thought that just a year later she would have conquered her illness and launched a lingerie brand. Her story is remarkable.
Ella said: ‘’Last year I experienced trauma caused by some unexpected twists in my career and this has affected me more than I thought it ever could. In the summer I developed fibromyalgia & M.E. symptoms and by autumn I was bedbound barely managing to work part time from home. I was scared and unsure about my future, as I knew that fibromyalgia is an incurable condition and people hardly ever completely get out of M.E.
The symptoms were ranging from extreme fatigue, when I felt like being hit by a speeding train almost every day, pain in the whole body, insomnia, brain fog and problems with concentration, memory and thinking, muscle spasms and stiffness and many other. All tests showed that there is nothing wrong with me and the diagnosis hasn’t been made to this day. Unfortunately, the doctors are not very aware of those conditions and do not know what to do as there is no cure.
I have made a commitment to get better and make my health a priority. I started my own treatment in December, when I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and low level of vitamin B12, both often go together with fibromyalgia. It took me only 6 months and I feel healthy again, and even started running. I still get the odd symptoms, but I just say: I am not ill, I just have the symptoms. To beat the illness, I attacked it as strongly as it attacked me: I did about 20 different things every single day to get better and after 4 months I got much better. I started with very healthy diet, ditched sugar, coffee and wine (although I started drinking a little bit now), took all vitamins and minerals, did hot massage at home on my shiatsu massage chair, heat therapy, I did CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) with a friend who is a therapist and has beaten the same illness twice in her life.
One of the most important parts of beating the illness was pacing and relaxation, including meditation, visualisation and hypnotherapy. I used hypnotherapy apps on my phone and this has completely cured me from insomnia. A key role in my healing played creativity and arts. I have suddenly become very arty. It is through this new creativity and sewing I have created my lingerie line and the world’s first magnetic suspender belt. It was hard, and there were weeks when I did nothing to develop the product but as I was getting better, I was able to do more.
Ella is taking her lingerie brand named simply Ella Vine to the market via crowdfunding on Indiegogo.com website. Her project was chosen by Essex Innovation Programme to be supported as an innovative start up. With some help of nuclear physicist she developed the NeoMagTriple™ technology used in the magnetic suspender belt, which is now patent-pending. 2% of all investments raised through the crowdfunding site Ella will donate to Women’s Aid.
Ella says: ‘I’m so proud that I have conquered this illness. I received no help from the doctors who were in the dark what to do. I had to do it myself. I feel much stronger person than ever before. Conquering this horrible illness was a very liberating and empowering experience. This illness was the most difficult experience I have ever gone through’’.
And Ella has been though a lot difficult experiences in her life. Ella’s background story is truly inspirational. When 13 years ago the three times Polish junior chess champion was homeless living on streets after fleeing domestic violence she would have never thought that today she will be a successful entrepreneur and will be helping others experiencing domestic violence and homelessness in the UK.
Ella says: ‘’ The Ella Vine brand is developed by women for women. The crowdfunding campaign is a marvellous movement of women’s empowerment when women say ‘’no’’ to the uncomfortable, hideous ways the lingerie industry tell us how to wear our suspenders and where women take this into their own hands, developing and supporting products that will work for them. It is making a history – women revolutionising the lingerie their wear, women owning the way they wear it’’.
While the lingerie industry seems to be saturated, Ella Vine brand offers something new, fresh and innovation in areas where previously it was thought to be impossible.
The magnetic sussie received a warm welcome from Jack Levene, former Head of Lingerie at Marks & Spencer UK, who said: ''The magnetic fastening on this suspender belt will be a great boon to both the user and to their partners. This is the first innovation in years, it speeds up production and makes it far easier for the user when attaching or removing from stockings.''
You can support Ella’s start up business and order the magnetic suspender belt on www.ellavine.co.uk The crowdfunding campaign will be open from the 27 July 2016 to 14 September 2016.
Crowdfunding page: https://igg.me/at/EllaVine
Website: www.ellavine.co.uk
Twitter @EllaVineBrand
Facebook @EllaVineBrand
ENDS
Contact: Ella Vine, e.vine2@gmail.com
Notes for the editor:
1. The Lingerie industry worldwide is worth $110 billion. In the UK’s underwear market is led by high street retailer Marks & Spencer, which holds a 26 percent market share.
Source: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/inside-the-economics-of-your-underwear
2. The Indiegogo.com is world’s leading crowdfunding site and raised $100 million in total for start ups from 223 countries.
3. About fibromyalgia: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx
4. About M.E. (chronic fatigue syndrome): http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Chronic-fatigue-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx