Founder – Michaela Regan
Michaela designed Hold as a retreat for women suffering with Endometriosis with the aim to change perspectives and challenge existing beliefs.
Michaela has had her own personal journey with Endometriosis, suffering for 15 years with pain and other symptoms until finally receiving her diagnosis in 2020.
After struggling to come to terms with this chronic illness, she realised that having a diagnosis helped legitimise her feelings. The symptoms and pain were a real reflection of something physically wrong and not just in her head. Two surgeries later, she started searching for retreats or online communities for Endo sufferers in an effort to feel part of a community, and to gain insight into how to move forward and actively tackle this disease with a positive attitude. Instead, she found little positivity in social media groups, and quickly became disheartened with the lack of specific support available. She decided to do something about it, and Hold was born!
Endometriosis is a chronic disease, affecting at least 1 in 10 women worldwide. It is drastically under-funded and under-researched, and women are left to find their own ways, medicated or otherwise, to manage their symptoms (often with little understanding of them). Fertility, mental health, physical health, careers and relationships are all affected, and as every woman is unique, so is everyone’s experience of Endometriosis.