Ellie House

DC Thompson

Having been a journalist just shy of a decade, Ellie has always been driven by the stories beneath the headlines.

But what does this mean for her entries? Ellie believes a good features writer must have the ability to truly listen, and to ask the right questions. Her submissions demonstrate her ability to do just that, and to identify the unspoken, the under-represented, and the marginalised within society. The statistic, 1 in 4, in relation to miscarriage, is common knowledge. But the stories of women across the generation remain largely unspoken. Ellie enables these women to finally have their stories told, by asking the right questions in a sensitive manner: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/3096985/miscarriage-breaking-the-silent-taboo/ Their experiences and their very personal loss will inevitably make readers feel less alone. Be that the grandmother who has never spoken of her loss until now, to the would be first time mum. Enabling people to discuss subjects which remain taboo, continues to drive Ellie in her career. A man may ask for a vasectomy, and face long waiting lists on the NHS. A woman faces an entirely different battle when asking to be sterilised. It is the other side of the coin, from those yearning to be mothers, to those who simply cannot contemplate it for any number of reasons. In this instance, the woman faced the most crippling form of PND. To have another child could destroy her mental health once more. For every woman reading this story, who has faced a similar discussion with her GP, this story could be a lifeline. A shared experience and a reason to keep fighting for autonomy over their own reproductive health. This story could not be more pertinent as a woman's right to abortion comes under the spotlight, following Roe versus Wade. The final entry regarding living with HIV will forever personally stay with Ellie: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/2801140/hiv-aids-myths/ The image of the gentleman in question, sobbing in the bath, before going on to attend a party as if all were well. That quote alone has the power to send shock waves. Ellie wanted his story to speak for itself, as we consider HIV against the stigmatised warnings of the Eighties. Each individual piece has the power to make the reader think, to feel and to even reconsider their views. It also provides a platform to those who told me their stories, their darkest moments and hope for the future. .