Andy Powell
Andy's Crohn's MAP triathlon
Fundraising for King's College London
Story
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In the summer of 2010, at the end of my first year of A Levels, I began to develop signs of what would turn out to be Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder that is extremely difficult to diagnose and is currently incurable, and I have been living with it since. Scientists know very little about the disease and it is at times extremely difficult to cope with. More importantly, Crohn's (and IBD in general) is becoming increasingly common in young people.
Since 2010, I have tried various medications, and while some have been more successful than others, the physical symptoms and psychological effects are still there - while helpful, they are a sticking plaster and do not tackle the underlying cause. The disease is still cyclic and unpredictable.
The symptoms of my Crohn's are made worse by the fact I have had to cope with the stresses and pressures of 3 and a half years of University, and I feel extremely lucky to be in the position that, despite everything, I am currently on target to pass my degree. I am sure there are others who have much worse symptoms than myself, and through no fault of their own, they do not have this opportunity.
However, research carried out by Professor John Hermon-Taylor at Kings College London suggests times could be about to change for 'Crohnies' like myself - they are developing a vaccine for what they believe could be the cause of the disease, a bacteria called MAP, but they need your help to get the vaccine into human trials!
This is why I thought I would set myself a challenge to do my bit towards a cause that I feel very strongly about - I will be completing a triathlon with a twist - over the course of a weekend in late June, I will be tackling mountain biking, then a team swim, and cap it off with a fun badminton tournament!
Please donate if you can! It's time to cure Crohn's!
To find out more about Crohn's disease and MAP, please follow the link below:
www.crohnsmapvaccine.com
In the summer of 2010, at the end of my first year of A Levels, I began to develop signs of what would turn out to be Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder that is extremely difficult to diagnose and is currently incurable, and I have been living with it since. Scientists know very little about the disease and it is at times extremely difficult to cope with. More importantly, Crohn's (and IBD in general) is becoming increasingly common in young people.
Since 2010, I have tried various medications, and while some have been more successful than others, the physical symptoms and psychological effects are still there - while helpful, they are a sticking plaster and do not tackle the underlying cause. The disease is still cyclic and unpredictable.
The symptoms of my Crohn's are made worse by the fact I have had to cope with the stresses and pressures of 3 and a half years of University, and I feel extremely lucky to be in the position that, despite everything, I am currently on target to pass my degree. I am sure there are others who have much worse symptoms than myself, and through no fault of their own, they do not have this opportunity.
However, research carried out by Professor John Hermon-Taylor at Kings College London suggests times could be about to change for 'Crohnies' like myself - they are developing a vaccine for what they believe could be the cause of the disease, a bacteria called MAP, but they need your help to get the vaccine into human trials!
This is why I thought I would set myself a challenge to do my bit towards a cause that I feel very strongly about - I will be completing a triathlon with a twist - over the course of a weekend in late June, I will be tackling mountain biking, then a team swim, and cap it off with a fun badminton tournament!
Please donate if you can! It's time to cure Crohn's!
To find out more about Crohn's disease and MAP, please follow the link below:
www.crohnsmapvaccine.com