Robs story: At Christmas time of 2016 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This resulted in numerous periods in hospital and meant I needed to undergo surgery three times in a four-week period. I was off work sick for almost six months whilst recovering and also suffered huge weight loss, the entirety of 2017 was a struggle dealing with the physical and mental affects of the condition and medication which hit me out of nowhere.

People who have been diagnosed with IBD often show no visible symptoms to others and can be known as an ‘invisible disease’. To an outsider looking in I might seem fine but below the surface I could be in severe pain or experiencing other symptoms.

The disease flares and you can have periods where you are in remission, sadly the number of people being diagnosed, particularly younger people is on the rise.

Crohn’s disease can be devastating and there is no known cure. In October, Nikki and I will be running the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK, a charity dedicated to helping others with the same condition and also to help research to find a potential cure in years to come.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated!!