March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, a time for shining a light on a condition that affects 1.5 million women in the UK. One of those women is HECK!’s Mica Keeble, who is leading a campaign to raise awareness of endometriosis in the workplace.
Endometriosis can have a devastating impact on a person’s life, particularly when it comes to work. Research by the BBC and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that many women with the condition experience reduced hours, lower paid jobs or even leave the workforce entirely due to the severity of their symptoms.
Mica Keeble, Production Assistant at HECK!, knows this struggle all too well. She always suffered from chronic period pain but assumed it was normal, until she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. Her condition became so severe that it caused her lung to collapse every month, and she was initially told that a hysterectomy was her only option.
It wasn’t until Mica started working with us at the age of 21 that she felt comfortable enough to open up about her struggles. After speaking with co-founder Debbie Keeble, she was encouraged to seek a second opinion – advice that ultimately changed her life.
“I started working at HECK! to supplement my acting income, but my symptoms were so debilitating I knew I had to explain to the family what I was going through," says Mica. "It was a difficult conversation to have, but they were incredible supportive and encouraged me to get a second opinion. Thankfully I did, and this led to an operation that started to sort the problem and help me move on with my life, and I avoided having to have a hysterectomy.”
Through HECK!, Mica not only found support, but also love – she went on to marry Roddy Keeble, the youngest son of HECK! founders, Andrew and Debbie Keeble. Today, she’s a proud mum of two children, aged one and three; something she never thought would be possible.
Although Mica still acts, most recently appearing in the BBC medical drama Casualty, her career at HECK! has flourished. Now overseeing a team of 70 people and managing distribution and quality control at HECK! HQ, she ensures that the one million sausages made in the factory each day are packed and delivered to supermarkets across the UK. Her dedication and leadership were recently recognised when she won Best Young Producer at the 2025 National Egg & Poultry Awards.
“Mica’s a real inspiration to the team, and we’re incredibly proud of her,” says Debbie Keeble. “She’s inspired us to encourage anyone with this debilitating condition to come forward and ask for help and advice, and we now have regular healthcare screenings for a wide range of conditions in place for all of our team, with access to additional advice and support when needed.”
“The HECK! team has been brilliant right from the beginning, both supporting my health problems and giving me great career opportunities beyond acting,” says Mica. “It’s a real family and friends concern here and everyone’s so supportive and looks out for one another. They’re also really good at helping anyone in the team with young families, with flexible working and other benefits that go above and beyond.”
Mica’s story highlights the need for greater awareness and support for endometriosis in the workplace. The charity Endometriosis UK is calling on employers to provide “support, understanding and reasonable adjustments” for the condition in order to retain talented employees.
By sharing her journey, Mica hopes to encourage more women to seek support and for more employers to recognise the importance of workplace inclusivity.
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