A Tenby mother who suffers from psoriatic arthritis has joined a unique health research project in Wales to fight against major diseases and is urging others to do the same.

Tracey Evans, 44, has signed up to HealthWise Wales, a flagship Welsh study aiming to better understand the health and wellbeing of the nation, to help people feel more informed and less isolated when it comes to battling serious health problems.

People aged 16 and over and living in Wales are being asked to take 10 minutes to complete an online survey as part of HealthWise Wales, a project led by Cardiff and Swansea Universities and backed by the Welsh Government.

It is the first scheme in Wales to build a picture of future health needs. It collates detailed health and wellbeing information from people of all ages and backgrounds.

This information will then be used to plan future health services and invite people to take part in further relevant health research on specific conditions and their management and treatment.

Former legal secretary Tracey has suffered from the auto-immune disease psoriasis since she was 14 and arthritis since she was 18. Every month, Tracey has to have biological therapy in the form of an injection.

However, a side effect of the treatment is that it can mask other medical illnesses and, in 2016, Tracey nearly died after her gallbladder became infected and was on the verge of sepsis.

Due to the severity of the condition, Tracey had to have an eight-hour operation to remove her gallbladder and she was told by doctors that she would not have survived the weekend without the operation.

“When my illnesses flare up, which normally happens every six months or so, it’s so severe that I can barely leave the house. The last three years have probably been the worst but luckily my family and friends are hugely supportive - they’ve even helped spoon-feed me my Christmas dinner when I was too ill to feed myself.

“I’m on morphine and steroids every day and I had several toes amputated a few years ago. It affected my walking, but I always use a stick anyway, to help with balance and I have a wheelchair at home for when I have a really bad spell.

“When I was first diagnosed as a teenager, I didn’t know anything about my illness. Over the years, I have discovered a lot, but it’s been a long process so I want to share my information to hopefully help the next generation. Furthermore, my condition can be hereditary so I keep a close eye on my children, but signing up to the HealthWise Wales survey is just another way I can play a part in their futures.

“I filled in the initial form a few months ago and would be more than happy to help with further research.”

Those who register at www.healthwisewales.gov.wales will be contacted every six months to complete questions about their health and lifestyle and wellbeing, so that researchers can track changes in health and study how to prevent the onset of ill-health, treat and manage a range of health conditions. In addition, participants will also be contacted about new research studies that they can take part in if they wish to do so.

To find out more and to complete the survey, visit www.healthwisewales.gov.wales, or call the HealthWise Wales team on 0800 9 172 172/02920 768 090 between 8 am and 7 pm, Monday to Friday.