It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs. Eileen Gill, a lady most of you may never have heard of but whose work impacted on almost every one of you.
In its early days, RLS-UK was known as The Ekbom Support Group, a group which was founded in 1988 by Eileen, herself a sufferer who lived with RLS. After retiring from her 30 years in the teaching profession, Eileen read everything she could find regarding RLS and formed The Ekbom Support Group in 1988, which she continued to manage until she retired in October 2007. In the first 15 years she kept a register, in which she recorded over 15,000 enquiries. By the time she retired in 2007 it had risen to 25,000 enquiries.
Eileen ran the support group from her home for almost 20 years. During this time she contacted hospitals, doctors, newspapers and journalists and was acquainted with RLS sufferers all over the world. She kept knocking on doors until someone would listen to her and realise that RLS was a real condition and that many thousands of people were in urgent need of a treatment for RLS. She was invited by Professor K.Ray Chaudhuri and his colleagues at the time to join in a newly formed RLS research group and to give the group the benefit of her experience. These two groups, one the support group and the other the research group, would eventually merge to become RLS-UK.
Although Eileen preferred to remain out of the public eye she was nominated to receive a much deserved award for the hard work and dedication she had shown to supporting people living with RLS and was invited to attend The Tower Of London to receive her award. Without Eileen's tireless work and dedication, awareness of RLS and the medical treatments available would not be where they are today.
Eileen was a wonderful Lady who will be missed by her family and friends and all who had the privilege of meeting her. We are all indebted to her.
We will be arranging flowers to be sent to Eileen's funeral and representatives of RLS-UK will also be present on behalf of our members and supporters. If you would like to provide a comment to be included in our card, which will be presented to Eileen's family on behalf of all of our members and supporters, please do so below.
Written by
Daragh
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As you mourn the loss of Eileen may you derive great comfort in the wonderful example she has left to all of us & that is, to care, support & serve those around you with the gifts & insights given to us. What a precious lady, what a loss! We grieve with you & thank God for a life well spent in the service of others.
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."
Albert Pike
She brought relief and hope to many, what more can you want to say of your life? Her suffering is over and wherever she is let her legs and her soul be at peace.
RIP Eileen,so many of us owe so much to this lady,Thankyou for all that you did for RLS sufferers . Where ever you are today may your legs be at rest,God Bless x..Pipps
Eileen was the first contact i had with anyone else who had RLS, i found her on the internet many years ago. She sent me some information about RLS and what i could do back then to get relief. I was still in the early stages of RLS, meaning mine was mild, but still i needed to know about it. Lovely lady who helped so many people from her front room and typed out letters and info to the people who needed it. We have moved on so much since those days, but i have never forgotten Eileen. RIP Eileen. x
I am very grateful to her although until I read the Chairman's piece I had never heard of her> What a great debt of gratitude RLS sufferers owe to her!
Please give my condolences to the family of this wonderful lady. As a fellow sufferer who has received some help from my doctor, I am sure I have much to thank her for. Eileen and all who mourn her are in my prayers.
Although I didn't know her, I would like to thank Eileen for the great work she did to help sufferers of the terrible condition which we know as RLS. Beryl Thomas, Solihull. West Midlands
I never knew Eileen, but it's clear she was a remarkable lady, and all of us who suffer from RLS owe her a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you for all you did for us Eileen, and may you now rest in peace xx
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