I’m honoured to be running the Edinburgh Marathon for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

My cousin, Lucy, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease aged 20, after losing a massive amount of weight a matter of months and becoming unwell. She was incredibly fortunate: without a timely diagnosis, her bowel would have perforated, leading to internal bleeding, major surgery and a permanent stoma.

Since then, Lucy has faced her illness with extraordinary courage and resilience. She has even set up a blog to document her recovery and raise awareness, helping others feel less alone in their diagnosis.

According to Crohn’s and Colitis UK, one in 120 people in the UK are living with these lifelong conditions. The charity works tirelessly to improve diagnosis and treatment, fund vital research into a cure, raise awareness and provide hope, comfort and confidence to those affected - empowering people to live freer, fuller lives.

If you’re able to support, please consider donating whatever you can. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps make a real difference.

Over the next six weeks, Living360 is partnering with Crohn’s & Colitis UK to share stories, raise awareness and help more people understand what it really feels like to live with Crohn's and colitis. To follow the partnership, visit https://living360.uk/