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At the age of 12, Daneka Etchells experienced the onset of her period and immediately recognized that something was unusual. Unlike many of her peers, she endured extremely heavy bleeding accompanied by severe pain. Despite visiting her doctor and being prescribed the contraceptive pill, there was no improvement in her symptoms. Repeated visits to various GPs failed to provide her with a clear diagnosis or effective treatment. Over time, her condition worsened to the point where she sustained a permanent physical disability.
Etchells later shared on the BBC Access All podcast that her experience over 17 years amounted to what is known as “medical gaslighting,” a process where healthcare professionals dismiss or invalidate a patient’s symptoms, causing them to doubt their own bodies and health concerns. Eventually, Etchells was diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition affecting roughly one in ten women. However, by the time her condition was identified, it had already caused lasting damage, including permanent nerve injury in her legs due to the extensive growth of the disease along nerves and ligaments. Although surgical removal of the lesions was performed, the impact on her mobility remains irreversible.
Her personal journey resonates strongly with themes explored in a new stage adaptation of The Secret Garden, in which she is performing. This disabled-led production highlights the issue of medical gaslighting through the character of Colin, a disabled boy who is hidden away by his family and whose health has been similarly dismissed. The original story, published over a century ago, narrates the tale of Mary, who moves to her uncle’s estate and uncovers both a locked garden and her disabled cousin. In this contemporary retelling, Colin advocates for himself and is finally heard, reflecting Etchells’ own fight for recognition and proper care.
Etchells’ path to diagnosis was prolonged and difficult, especially as a neurodivergent individual, and it took 17 years—far longer than the average nine years—to identify her condition. Her symptoms eventually became so debilitating that even a career highlight performing at Shakespeare’s Globe was overshadowed by her health struggles. She describes using a walking stick regularly, battling extreme fatigue and pain, and being confined indoors for months at a time due to bladder and bowel complications. With NHS waiting times too lengthy, she resorted to raising funds privately for excision surgery, which offered some relief. Despite this, the lasting effects of being dismissed by medical professionals early on continue to affect her daily life, leaving her in persistent pain and dependent on mobility aids, though she has returned to performing on stage.
The new production of The Secret Garden also draws from the experiences of playwright Tom Wentworth, who reimagined the ending. While the original story concludes with Colin’s remarkable recovery and walking unaided, Wentworth’s version presents a more realistic portrayal where no cure is found, but the children learn to communicate their needs and assert themselves. Wentworth, who is disabled and queer, has faced his own challenges with health professionals who attribute symptoms to his cerebral palsy without thorough investigation. He emphasizes the deep bodily awareness disabled people possess and advocates for greater trust in patients’ own accounts of their health. His adaptation seeks to raise awareness among young audiences about the importance of self-advocacy and recognizing medical gaslighting.
Healthwatch England, an organization collaborating with the NHS to improve patient experiences, acknowledges that stories like Etchells’ and Wentworth’s are unfortunately common, particularly relating to conditions such as endometriosis and ADHD. Their interim director of policy, William Pett, notes that young people, women, and LGBTQ individuals often report feeling unheard by healthcare providers. In response, Healthwatch has urged reforms to the NHS complaints process to ensure swifter, more effective resolutions. Meanwhile, the NHS has implemented Martha’s Law, enabling patients and their carers to request rapid reviews when a condition worsens. The Department of Health and Social Care stresses that their renewed Women’s Health Strategy explicitly recognizes medical gaslighting as a significant barrier and commits to upholding dignity and respect for all patients within the NHS. Etchells expresses gratitude for now being under the care of a dedicated endometriosis team that listens to her, although dealing with neuropathic leg pain sometimes forces her to “medically gaslight” herself just to manage daily tasks
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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