A woman is set to raise money for a charity she credits with saving her life.

Lorraine Dines has battled with mental health issues and a rare brain condition that rendered her a recluse who struggled to leave her home.

The 33-year-old was told in the summer of 2012 that she was suffering from a Chiari malformation, which means the lower parts of the brain are being pushed towards the spinal column.

The condition, which affects only around one in 1,000 people, gave Lorraine chronic headaches and symptoms akin to vertigo.

Around the same time, she was also diagnosed with schizophrenia – something she feels compounded her feelings of isolation because of the negative stigma attached to the condition.

But Lorraine, who lives in Menin Road, Kemsley, with her husband, John, says she has now turned her life around after receiving support from Swale Your Way, which is a service run by Together for Mental Wellbeing.

She said: “I spent three weeks in Medway Maritime Hospital in May 2012 and once I came out, if I hadn’t have had the group, I don’t know where I would be.

“They’ve given me my life back.

“The group has a lot of people with a lot of different issues and you can have a chat, have a laugh and a giggle.

“With help, I have come out the other side, and not a lot of people do that.”

Swale Your Way is run by the national organisation, Together for Mental Wellbeing, which helps people with mental health problems through support groups, one-to-one sessions and education and training opportunities.

Lorraine is now managing her symptoms with medication, and feels her mental wellbeing is the best it has ever been.

To thank Swale Your Way, she will be doing a sponsored head-shave at an afternoon fundraiser on Friday, March 20, at the Riverside Quays, Sittingbourne.

Swale Your Way project manager Sandra Bray said: “We are delighted that Lorraine has chosen to support us through fundraising, and the money will help us continue to support people with mental health needs on their journey towards leading independent and fulfilling lives.”

It is free to attend the head shave, which starts at 1.30pm.

To sponsor Lorraine’s head shave, visit www.justgiving.com/lorraine-dines

For more information about Together, visit www.together-uk.org