Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

We are raising money for St Mark's Hospital Foundation.  The team at St Mark's have looked after our Brother Carl since he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2007.  

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. It is thought to be an autoimmune condition. This means the immune system (the body's defence against infection) goes wrong and attacks healthy tissue.  

It's estimated around 1 in every 420 people living in the UK has ulcerative colitis. This amounts to around 146,000 people. The condition can develop at any age, but is most often diagnosed in people aged from 15 to 25 years old. 

Carl appears to have a severe form of the condition which meant that the Doctor's attempts to manage his symptoms with medication were ultimately unsuccessful. He had to have an operation to remove his large intestine on August 11th 2009 (a significant date for our Family - we like to think that Mum was watching out for Carl during the surgery). 

Without a large intestine, Carl had to use a colostomy bag to manage his stools. He took this all in his stride and made a good recovery over the following year. It was in this year that Carl met Sarah, who is now his Wife and the Mother of their two children, Henry and Aidan. In the Summer of 2010 Carl was back at St. Mark's Hospital for the conversion of his colostomy bag to an internal pouch. Unfortunately, early in his recovery he developed Septicaemia  due to a perforation in his bowel. Emergency surgery late at night saved his life. 

The team at St. Mark's are there for you 24/7. 

Over the following 9 years Carl has had many examinations under anaesthetic to explore causes of chronic pain and abscesses. In November 2018 after months of suffering with weight loss, pain and general ill health, it was decided that the malfunctioning pouch should be removed because it would offer the best chances of Carl living a healthy life with a good quality of life. His recovery from this surgery was slow and brutal. We hope it is the last one he has to have!

Carl is now back at work, enjoying family life and has even got back to playing Football. He has had a long journey over the past 12 years. Without the multi-disciplinary team working at St. Mark's Hospital I do not think he would be here with us today. This is our way of trying to say "Thank You" for all of the care they have provided him.

Please donate what you can. Thank you. 

****BREAKING NEWS****

CARL IS NOW RUNNING WITH US TOO!!!