South Shields Miss GB finalist hoping to inspire others after overcoming rare brain condition

South Shields salon owner Megan Patrick will take to the stage as a Miss Great Britain finalist, years on from a rare brain condition that almost took her sight.

The businesswoman and mum-of-two was diagnosed with Intracranial Hypertension when she was 15, a rare brain condition which happens due to a build-up of pressure around the brain.

Speaking of her experience she said, "It was like really frightening. The doctors didn't know what was wrong with me for a long time.

"Even though I was losing sight in my left eye, I was like, it's not going to stop me so I continued my dancing. I was studying my degree and about a year and a half in and then I had a relapse of my condition.

"It ended up where I basically I gave up my degree, I lost my job and that was the dream over really."

The now 31-year-old was was forced to declare insolvency at 21 and was at "rock bottom"- until she came across the Prince's Trust.

The charity was founded by King Charles in 1976 to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30-year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

Megan decided to pitch her business idea to the charity and was given their support.

After setting up the brow and beauty bar Brow Wow in 2015, she was invited to meet King Charles at the Prince’s Trust Youth Can Do It event in London in 2019.

Ten years on, Megan owns a multi-award-winning beauty company based in Gateshead and soon will swap her salon attire for a gown, as she competes in the finals for Miss Great Britain on Friday (18 October).

When asked about competing she said: "I'm so excited now. The nerves are kicking in a little bit. But yeah, I'm just really excited to get on that stage and just show everything that I've been working on.

"Now I've got the opportunity to just give other young people a chance that I needed at that time."

She continued: "The contest has come along way since the days of it being like a bikini contest. So much work that goes into it, so much charity fundraising, and they've opened it up to all age categories this year so there's a total range of women going to be on that stage. And yeah, it's not about what you look like at all."

Using her business to train up the next generation, Megan hopes a pageant title could expand that from Gateshead to Great Britain.

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