I am Joshua Carroll,

I will be doing a skydiving fundraiser to help support Crohn’s & Colitis UK.

Both of the conditions affect the bowel, but in slightly different ways. Crohns is a long term inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation of the full thickness of the bowel wall, in any part of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis is also a long term inflammatory bowel condition is the inflammation of the inner lining of the large bowel (colon and rectum).

I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 21… due to being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I was discharged from the British army … I am currently 22/23 and have recently just came out of hospital after being admitted for 2-3 weeks. I am raising money to spread awareness of Crohns and Colitis as it has many effects on an individual’s health.

Socially - people with Crohns tend to struggle to socialise due to the pain and urgency of needing the toilet… which can be seen as embarrassing and a huge struggle as we are constantly worried about where the nearest toilet facility is. This sometimes limits things to do and places to go as of the need of having a toilet in close proximity remains a priority.

Mentally – From my own experiences and from people with Crohns and Colitis who I have spoken to have said that they feel down mentally as they constantly feel embarrassed, low, worried and lost as they don’t know what to do with themselves … for example when I was discharged from the army it hurt as I’ve always wanted to be a solider - which caused me to feel lost until I joined the prison service! But now that I have been severely unwell, have suffered with brain fog and tiredness meaning I have to have more time off of work.

Physically - people with Crohn’s and Colitis can lose a vast amount of weight during a short period, and muscle mass can be lost rapidly. Pains can be all around the body, hurting and aching, belly aches, cramps, brain fog, fatigue and a constant battle for energy.

Any donations will be such a big help, even a share to help spread awareness.

Thanks for reading.