Hampshire woman with chronic illness hopes Parliamentary debate will boost awareness
It comes as the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes are set to be part of a debate in Parliament later today
Last updated 26th Mar 2026
A Southampton woman with a chronic illness says more awareness is needed around common conditions that aren't often spoken about, such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS).
It comes as Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, a group of complex tissue disorders which can affect the whole body, is set to be brought up in a debate in Parliament later today by Josh Newbury MP.
Abi Kinsella, 24 originally from Somerset and now lives in Hampshire, has Postural Hypertension, which is similar to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and can connect to, and can cause a range of symptoms, including dizziness and fainting.
She said: "I think for people around me, it's a bit scary.
"My family have had to deal with me many times where I've just kind of passed out.
"I don't think there's much said about PoTS at all, so how would people know what you've got and how to understand it?
"Like employers, I work in hospitality, so sometimes if I'm standing up for too long, that can cause a collapse.
"If there was more awareness, especially speaking in Parliament, that would definitely help."
The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of 13 complex genetic tissue disorders which can affect the entire body, often leaving people in daily pain, exhaustion, and isolation.
EDS also often come with other long-term conditions such as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), gastroparesis, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and Long Covid.
Both PoTS and EDS can be extremely difficult to gain a diagnosis for.
PoTS UK, a national charity, say, on average, it takes around seven years to be given a diagnosis of PoTS.
PoTS affects the autonomic nervous system and can cause a range of symptoms in various levels of severity, which can cause patients to be disabled by the impacts of it.