Meet the Team
Julie Weymouth – Co-Founder.
Hi my name is Julie. I live in Bradford on Avon not far from Bath. I developed CRPS in my foot after a fracture to my knee when I fell onto a concrete floor in 2009.
I have been fortunate to attend two inpatient programmes at The RNHRD in Bath locally known as The Min. I soon realised that I wanted to help other sufferers. Since 2011 I have been a CRPS “Expert Patient Volunteer” at The Min. I visit patients on the wards and I enjoy this as I love to talk.
Amanda Nelson – Co-Founder, Chairperson
I developed CRPS almost 10 years ago in 2010, at the age of 40, after suffering numerous soft tissue injuries caused by a rare congenital foot deformity – (Navicular Calcaneal Coalition – bilateral). As a result of the coalition, I had a triple fusion of my left foot but had presented with CRPS symptoms long before the surgery. I was diagnosed with CRPS 18 months later after receiving the coalition diagnosis and a year post surgery.
Pre CRPS, I was very active, taking part in many sports, I travelled extensively, and lived and worked overseas. Developing CRPS changed my life irrevocably which had a profound effect on my mental health. I turned my life around when I rediscovered cycling through a charity called Charlotte’s Tandems, which in turn set me on a journey to raise awareness of CRPS and subsequently Cycling for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome was born.
CRPS UK was formed when Rebecca, Fiona, Julie and I met at The Mineral Hospital.
I have a background in healthcare.
Fiona Armitage – Co-Founder, Secretary.
I developed CRPS after an operation in 2007. I didn’t receive a diagnosis until I had an appointment at The Mineral Hospital (RNHRD) in Bath, in 2010. Due to the lack of knowledge of CRPS, I had to travel from my home in Southern Ireland to the UK to a centre of excellence that could offer a diagnosis. I then attended the two week inpatient programme at the The Min which I benefited from hugely.
Prior to this I lived in South Africa for 20 years and have four grown up children.
I have a background as a medical secretary and also worked for two airlines. I am a qualified bereavement counsellor.
Rebecca Boot – Co-Founder, Treasurer.
Hiya, I’m Rebecca and I live in the midlands. I got CRPS in 2006 when I was 12. Since then I’ve had various treatments including an inpatient pain management programme at the min. I have navigated the education system with CRPS and have become a bit of a creative problem solver because of it! I’m into politics and in 2014/15 I was Disabled Student’s Officer at my University.
Dr Jacqueline Bailey – CPsychol, AFBPsS.
Dr Jacqueline Bailey is a chartered psychologist with the BPS and registered with the HCPC as a practitioner health psychologist. She used to work in research with UWE and the Mineral Hospital and now works in private practice as a CBT therapist. She works with, among others, those who have pain management issues and/or mental health difficulties. Her interest in CRPS came about while working at the RNHRD and as a result of the research project there has published a couple of papers on CRPS in peer reviewed journals. She is also a trustee of CRPS UK.
Danielle Brown – Patron.
As a child Danielle had a passion for the outdoors until she developed CRPS aged 11. Archery was a lifeline when everything seemed so bleak and she forged an amazing, but completely different path.
Danielle won gold in both the Beijing and London Paralympics and became a three time World Champion. Taking gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, she became the first disabled athlete to represent England in an able-bodied discipline and she holds all 12 Paralympic world records. Danielle achieved heights that others didn’t even realise were possible until she did it, proving that disability is no bar to achieving.
Dr Cathy McKenzie (Edgeworth) PhD FRPharmS
Clinical Research Pharmacist
Cathy is a clinical pharmacist. She has over 30 years experience in the NHS. Cathy was the consultant pharmacist in critical care at Guys and St.Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT). In February 2012 she had an accident whilst ski-ing on a family holiday in Austria. She ruptured he anterior cruciate ligament and developed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
After working with CRPS for 5 years, Cathy could not go on longer and retired from clinical practice. She now spends her time doing a mixture of academic research, clinical support, aesthetics , pain medication reviews and is a proud trustee of CRPS-UK.
Cathy is passionate about sharing her knowledge of pain medicines and supporting persons with CRPS getting the most out of their medication. She regularly presents at educational seminars and meeting for CRPS-UK. She is also the lead investigator on a study being undertaken by CRPS UK to assess the impact of living with CRPS.