Inspirational Belinda Whitlock is determined to raise awareness of liver health in North Lincolnshire. Belinda, from Scunthorpe, was diagnosed with liver disease in 2024 and has since made it her mission to educate others and challenge misconceptions about liver disease.
Over the past few months, Belinda has been driving awareness in her local community by sharing information about the importance of good liver health and working with colleagues and healthcare teams to organise a liver health event. The event, which took place on 31st January in Scunthorpe, aimed to raise awareness of liver health and provided an opportunity for local residents to have their liver health checked in a convenient, accessible setting. Over 500 people attended the event.
“The motivation behind my involvement in liver health awareness is deeply rooted in my own experiences,” Belinda, Health & Social Care Development Officer at North Lincolnshire Council, shares. “My journey began over 35 years ago when I lost my mother to liver cancer when she was just 46 years old. Tragically, she lived only three weeks after being diagnosed. It wasn’t until years later that I began to question, ‘Why did my mum die of liver cancer? She didn’t even drink alcohol?’”
This realisation highlighted a widespread myth about liver disease – that it only affects people who consume alcohol excessively. Following her own diagnosis with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD, Belinda’s determination to drive change in her local area was further reinforced.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver due to factors unrelated to alcohol consumption. MASLD often has no symptoms in its early stages, meaning many people are unaware they have it until significant liver damage has occurred.
Belinda continues: “As a patient, I realised something needed to change in my area. From a work perspective, I am fortunate enough to be able to link in with and work with my Public Health colleagues to try to make those changes.”
The British Liver Trust is supporting Belinda’s awareness-raising efforts by offering a free online liver health awareness talk on Thursday, 13th February, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. To register, visit:: Liver Health Awareness Talk in partnership with North Lincolnshire Council Tickets, Thu 13 Feb 2025 at 12:30 | Eventbrite
