Nearly 30 years ago my mum was rushed to hospital with excruitiating stomach pain. She had been suffering for weeks but unfortunately her condition went undiagnosed. Without knowing what the issue was, we had to authorise emergency surgery to help save her. Surgery meant taking out a few inches of her intestines to fix the perforation. Post op, she was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Mum had months off work and it took quite some time to heal. I was 18 at the time and I helped Dad look after her. It was a scary time as I'd always relied on her and now she was incapacitated and entirely depended on us.

Over the years she has learnt to live with the condition, constantly watching her diet, experiencing times of remission and times of flare ups which cause much pain and discomfort. 3 years ago she had more major surgery to help prevent future outbreaks. I've learnt a lot about a disease I knew nothing about before mum was diagnosed. She is one of many living with this condition. Fact is, every 30 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with Crohn's Disease or Ulcertative Colitis with 300,000 now suffering.

Please support me in this challenge to raise much needed funds to help drive pioneering research, improve care and provide better information and support for every person facing this life-changing diagnosis - ensuring nobody faces Chron's or Colitis alone.

Thank you!