Sofie Rask Jensen is an MRKH advocate from Denmark on TikTok. Here she hopes to share all aspects of what it’s like to live with MRKH, while also trying to educate people on what MRKH is. She started posting during march of last year and already in may she had two tiktoks go viral. Ever since, she has grown a following of almost 80.000  people wanting to learn more about MRKH. Besides her TikTok, she is also a part of the MRKH stars team as one of their writers and is also part of their Tik Tok.

Note from Mind Over MRKH - SO SORRY LISTENERS I've been away so PLEASE don't worry this is a temporary intro (I wanted to keep the Pod going but haven't been in the company of my trusted mic!

So many improvements are coming as we now have a brand spanking new sponsorship from MRKH Connect which will enable better software for this Pod!

Thanks for our sponsorship MRKH Connect, you ROCK. Donate to MRKH Connect here

Buy a gift for a young person with MRKH in the U.K. here

Contribute directly to Mind Over MRKH and the work we are doing here 

Join the WARRIORSHIP and get post from us!

Check out our MRKH Shop

#mrkhsyndrome #mrkh #infertility

Tech note- Apologies from Ellamae my sound was quite overbearing and we couldn't figure out how to ensure we could increase the volume of the wonderful Janay - so feel free to turn down the volume when I talk and get it as loud as you can for Janay! We will definitely be recording more together.

Insightful, strong-willed, and free spirited are just a few words to describe our next guest, Janay Cook

Janay hails from the original ‘Wakanda’ known affectionately as the college of love and charity: Florida A&M University, where she studied journalism.

She’s an MRKH advocate, former news producer and content strategist. But she considers her greatest accomplishments as being a big sister to her younger brothers, Andre and Desmond.

Diagnosed during her senior year of high school, Janay made a decision to completely educate herself on her condition. Finding few places to learn and connect with women of color who shared her experience, she founded Sistahs Surviving Infertility in 2018.

For the past 13 years, she has used her story to inspire and encourage others to live out their truth.

She's a proud mom of two cats and five plants, but hopes to carry her own children one day.

Janay joins us from Tampa, Florida AND ... today, she's celebrating her MRKHversary! .... 

Wow, 7 episodes! Rest assured when we get to 10, you'll have a chance to feedback on the future of the Pod/Zine! Click here to shop with us and support

FRIENDS ARE JUST LIKE STARS, YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEM BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE! 

Check out our newest episode with the lovely Vics & TK who run @mrkhstars <<< FOLLOW THEM!

Vics is a second year university student, English tutor, MRKH advocate and the founder of MRKH Stars, a peer support network and advocacy group for young and newly diagnosed MRKHers which she founded in April 2021, and now jointly runs with her partner in crime and close friend, Tk. Vics has a passion and a love for literature and writing and, with input from the community around her, is growing this on her journey as an advocate. Vics saw a need for support for MRKHers earlier on in their journey and, inspired by one of her biggest cheerleaders and supporters, Jemma, went onto create MRKH Stars, with the aim of providing young and newly diagnosed MRKHers with the same comfort and support that Jemma provided her with during her own early days of diagnosis.

Tk works full time as a nursery practitioner, as well as studying for her level 3 NVQ. Tk became Co Director of Stars along side her good friend Vics in October. Tk was diagnosed with MRKH two years ago, since her diagnosis she has shared her story through social media, Stars and news articles. Tk wanted to help spread the awareness of MRKH and support those newly diagnosed in their journey. One of the ways Tk does this is by running the Shooting Stars buddy scheme for Stars.

We chat all things stars, being a newly diagnosed MRKHer navigating the world of advocacy and get to know the two lovely people behind this mission.

The biggest message I got from this episode is we really do need to assure people with MRKH when newly diagnosed that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. We all feel alone, we all think we are alone, it's just knowing where to look which can feel utterly daunting- we have all been there. And when you do stumble across that one person, Charity or page you will find that there's so many of us, all ages, all stages, waiting with open arms - which can also feel daunting. Having a mix of different platforms is really shaping the future of our MRKH Community, there's something for everyone!

Don't forget you can leave Vics/TK a Shooting Star emoji to be connected to one of their SHOOTING STARS and find a buddy to talk to.

You can also find people who live near you and plenty of online events (Some a collab between MRKH Stars/Connect/ and us here at Mind) via MRKH Connect, our U.K. Charity with a mission to connect those with MRKH, and depending on where you are in the world there's plenty of other support right here and here.  THAT'S F*ING TEAM WORK.

TRIGGER WARNING- SELF HARM/SWEARING.

I loved speaking to my good friend (who I've only met in the flesh once!) because we prefer to just wing it and take away the filter from our MRKH stories with a truly candid chat.

Be prepared to hear the word vagina 100 times or more and get the secret to protecting your story.

Ally talks about the ingredients to turning pain into Power and tells us why sharing isn't coping

Find Ally over on Global MRKH and her personal account 

Ally Hensley is a writer, speaker, and advocate for women’s health and happiness.

Ally has written for leading publications on mental health, infertility, body positivity, and has become a regular media interviewee, and speaker on how to transform trauma into triumph. Ally works to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and prompts conversations that matter.

Ally is inspired by real humans, telling real stories and has become an international go-to on how to maximize impact with big ideas, when it comes to tackling taboo head-on. By discovering her own version of self-acceptance, Ally has created a loving relationship with her MRKH diagnosis, a statement that once would have derailed her. Over a decade ago, Ally cofounded Australia's first MRKH organization, and in 2016 launched Global MRKH, a international hub to better understand the global footprint of this life-altering diagnosis.

 In 2021, Ally connected with the Content Crush Co., a Sydney based creative agency launched by best friend and author Amy Molloy. Ally joins a team of copywriters creating brand campaigns and authentic content with household names, emerging start-ups, and budding authors. As a freelance writer, being a digital nomad is her ultimate goal, with big plans for a Bali, Bondi and Berkshire commute.

As a truthteller, Ally defines herself as a realistic, but scrappy dreamer – where fact is essential, and originality is to be absolutely embraced

Listen to the full episode to hear Rima, founder of coaching platform Sumaavi and the Trusted Circle, flip the questions onto Ellamae in true coaching style! 

Rima delves into her teenage years and the feeling of disconnecting from her body, after medical professionals deemed her as research over a human being, a young 16 year old girl needing emotional support but instead being pressured to have sex after surgery. After a lack of teenage support, Rima was offered "Sex therapy" before she'd even had sex, and bottled up a lot of her MRKH feelings for years before slowing connecting with her body and the rest is history- Sumaavi was born and she is helping others thrive and take the next brave steps in their lives. 

Rima Zigaitis. is the founder of Sumaavi and the Trusted Circle which provides coaching, unconditional support, and a way forward to people with MRKH and to the people who love people with MRKH, like parents, partners, and family members. After years of dedicated self-growth, running her own consulting business developing training programs for corporations, she took her skills in adult learning & development and coaching to focus on what really matters - helping people transform their relationship with MRKH to live a full and beautiful life. She created Sumaavi to provide the kind of support that she wish she'd had growing up with MRKH.

Sumaavi's mission is to help you take a step forward in your MRKH journey. With each step, let go of what burdens you, learn to build confidence, and learn to love yourself - MRKH and all!

A candid conversation with friend and encourager, Badia. We talk real life events with MRKH (from bleeding during sex to burying feelings!), a diagnosis story which didn't include the letters "MRKH", being a young black woman with MRKH and Badia's road to joining the Beautiful You MRKH foundation on the board for Diversity and Inclusion, amongst her world of encouraging and cheerleading those around her whilst seeking therapy just last year, as MRKH grief truly can kick in later in life.

I asked Badia what black people and people of colour with MRKH need more of from our community- REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION. Hear more by sitting back and listening to our chat. 

Badia is a Daughter, Sister, Auntie, Cousin, Friend, Author, Founder and so much more.

She is the founder of Sisters Anointed for Encouragement,

CEO of Badia Did It Braids, and in the MRKH world she is on the advisory board for Diversity and Inclusion at the

Beautiful You MRKH Foundation - a fiercely admirable and inspirational advocate in our MRKH community- follow and support Badia using the links below.

https://safeencouragement.com

https://www.beautifulyoumrkh.org

Instagram/Facebook:

https://www.instagram.com/badia.atcherson

https://www.instagram.com/Safeencouragementinc

https://www.instagram.com/Badiadidit

Ellamae interviews the wonderful Charlie Bishop.

Charlie took over as Director of charity MRKH Connect in 2019 building on their strong foundation she, and the team work on numerous activities and initiatives to help connect, raise awareness and work to improve care for all.  Day to day she works as project manager analysing images of the earth taken from space, transferring many of those skills to her work with Connect. Living in north Norway she loves running and hiking.

MRKH Connect has a mission to connect those with MRKH together and to ensure that there is a safe space for all MRKHers to chat and share together whilst also raising awareness publicly. No one with MRKH should feel alone.

Donate here: https://mrkhconnect.co.uk/support-mrkh-connect/

www.mrkhconnect.org

Instagram: @mrkhconnect, @charlieabisbhop

Twitter: @mrkhconnect, charliebishop84

Mind Over MRKH, The MRKH Podcast bought to you by Ellamae Fullalove 

Amy co-founded the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation and The Global MRKH Consortium. She earned a PhD in Human Genetics, channeling this expertise to transform health and wellbeing for the MRKH Community through partnering with clinicians and scientists to drive research and improve care. She also loves snorkeling in blue water.

BYMRKH strives to improve health and empower the MRKH Community through our core value of inclusivity – in our differences, we will find our greatest strengths.

Donate here: https://www.beautifulyoumrkh.org/donate.html

https://theglobalmrkh.wordpress.com/author/globalmrkh/

https://beautifulyoumrkh.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ilovepigenetics, @bymrkh, @GlobalMrkh

Instagram: @travelingeneticist, @beautifulyoumrkh, @globalmrkh

Hey! The Podcast is back, and back in MRKH style! Bought to you by Ellamae at Mind Over MRKH and Va Va Womb.

The first episode is just Ellamae practicing talking without notes about her journey and how to support others- this stuff is nerve-wracking!

There's a little around how to support people with MRKH, what not to say, some journal prompts and a Podcast version of the presentation Ellamae did recently for the QCCH support group.

If you want to be part of the Podcast there's opportunities from January.

The next few episodes will be talking to some of our Charity leaders and some resources, journal prompts and meditations. 

If you need support please head to:

https://mrkh.org.uk/ 

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Follow our insta @mindovermrkh