Meet Neve Mistry: the 20-year-old Manchester founder creating a community for women with chronic illness

For 20-year-old Neve Mistry, being diagnosed with endometriosis completely changed the direction of her life.

After struggling with her periods for years, Neve was diagnosed with the chronic condition in June 2025 and eventually made the difficult decision to leave university.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body, often causing pain and flare-ups.

Now, she has channelled her experience into Girls Go Through It, a community space she launched less than four months ago for people living with chronic illness.

Speaking to The Manchester Tab, Neve said the idea came from feeling at a complete loss on how to navigate life after her endometriosis diagnosis.

“There is no kind of guide book to process being diagnosed with a chronic illness because there is no cure to your disease,” she states.

Neve’s mental health began to deteriorate as she struggled to come to terms with being chronically ill at such a young age.

“I thought it can’t just be me who is going through it,” she said.

“There are so many women who get diagnosed with so many diseases that they don’t know about because women’s health…is so underfunded and under-educated.”

That realisation became the starting point for Girls Go Through It, which Neve hopes can give other women the support she felt was missing from her own experience.

“I am going to be the support that I never had.”

Last September, Neve began her first year at the University of Salford, studying performing arts yet her health made continuing increasingly difficult.

Endometriosis causes painful flare-ups, often leaving sufferers dealing with severe pain, fatigue and other symptoms at unexpected times.

Due to her health, Neve struggled to keep up with the practical nature of the course and, six months into her first year, received an email telling her that her attendance was too low – affecting both her studies and her mental health.

“I was so depressed,” she notes.

“I was like I need to leave because my body can’t do this and it’s impacting my mental health so much that it is just not right for me anymore”

Neve said she had been given a reasonable adjustment plan when she started university, but felt she needed more support with the social and mental health side of her experience.

She opens up on how her peers spoke about her illness in a negative way and heard comments suggesting she was simply exaggerating.

“I do feel like I wasn’t treated nicely by my fellow classmates and the staff didn’t do anything when I would go to them with my concerns.

I mean they are a university, they’re not highschool but I could have done with that support.

I think if I had that support I maybe would’ve felt I could have finished out the year or finished the degree but I just really wasn’t supported mentally at all.”

University of Salford has commented on the issue, stating:

“The wellbeing and safety of our students is a priority for the University, and we take concerns about this very seriously.

We recognise that students may face a range of challenges, including with their mental health, and have processes in place to help identify concerns.

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Where a student is not engaging with their studies, we will seek to make contact and, where possible, establish whether there are concerns about their wellbeing in order to provide them with the support they need.”

Practical classes were particularly difficult for Neve because missing a session meant there was often no way to recreate the experience at home.

She had asked whether lessons could be recorded or streamed through Teams so she could continue learning during a flare-up but was told this was not possible.

A common misconception Neve emphasises is people think she is simply being dramatic but notes you don’t decide when you have a flare-up.

She recalls feeling frustrated when people would question whether she was really unwell because they had seen her socialising.

“I was apparently going out clubbing and then became ill so I was actually ill with a hangover rather than my endometriosis which is not the case.” she makes clear.

“I shouldn’t have to make myself feel miserable just to prove that I am ill.

I do everything I physically can – I don’t drink, I cut out gluten…I can’t predict when it is going to happen and people will assume things from what they’ve seen online rather than taking the moment to listen and understand what I’m going through.”

Neve wants Girls Go Through It to offer the kind of understanding she felt was missing.

The community is open to people who have a diagnosis, are awaiting one, want to learn more about their body or she notes, “even if you are a male and are looking to support your partner through their diagnosis.”

The events are designed to feel relaxed, welcoming and accessible.

“It’s a safe space where they don’t have to worry about being ill,” she said.

Future events will range from pilates to arts and crafts, with Neve planning activities that can work for people with different access needs.

She also encourages people to attend alone if they feel comfortable, giving everyone the chance to meet someone new.

Although endometriosis has become an increasingly discussed women’s health issue, Neve does not want Girls Go Through It to focus solely on one condition.

She hopes to bring together women living with a range of chronic illnesses and create connections around experiences that can often feel isolating.

For now, her priority is building that community, but Neve has much bigger ambitions for the future.

Her ultimate goal is to turn Girls Go Through It into a charity and while Endometriosis UK already raises awareness and funds research into the condition, Neve wants to focus on supporting the mental health of women living with chronic illness.

Eventually including access to therapy, larger support groups and other forms of mental health support.

“That would be the ultimate dream for me,” she states.

Girls Go Through It is not only a community group but a brand which Neve hopes to develop much further over the next ten years.

She has plenty of ideas up her sleeve, though she can’t reveal them all just yet – it is clear there are many exciting things in store for Girls Go Through It.

Featured image via Neve Mistry