In August 2024, I underwent surgery to remove my large bowel and an ileostomy (stoma) was formed after two years of being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and experiencing continuous symptoms, including blood loss, urgency, incontinence and pain.

I still have another surgery to go in the future to remove the remaining disease but for now my symptoms are manageable and my life is returning to (a new) normal with the addition of Stella the Stoma.

We’re participating in the Winter Walk, a half marathon walk on January 25th, 2025, to raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK. This charity has guided and supported so many people through diagnoses, treatment and surgery. Right now, an estimated 500,000 people in the UK are living with a lifelong disease that many people have never heard of. And the real number could be almost double that. Because of the stigma and misunderstanding surrounding these diseases, thousands of people are suffering in silence. But they’re not alone. We’re working to improve diagnosis and treatment, and to fund research into a cure; to raise awareness and to give people hope, comfort and confidence to live freer, fuller lives.