My weight crashed to five stone and I nearly died - I was passed from pillar to post before my diagnosis

Matilda Crome, 24, was diagnosed with the rare bowel condition Crohn's disease - which causes the digestive system to become inflamed. Her symptoms began aged 14 while on holiday in Italy and put her 'gassy stomach' down to eating lots of pizza.

Back home, her issues were dismissed by doctors as period pains or IBS - but Matilda feared it was more serious when she found blood in her poo. Her condition became so severe that she took her GCSE exams in her bed at her home in Manchester, with an invigilator sat next to her.

At her worst, Matilda lost a staggering six stone and nearly died after developing sepsis. But new medication meant Matilda was healthy enough buy a van and go on a solo climbing trip, travelling to Spain and Morocco in October 2023 and February 2024. After returning, she underwent surgery to remove her colon and reattach her small bowel to her rectum, and now hopes to go travelling again.

Matilda, who cannot work due to her condition, from Manchester, said: “I was going to the toilet up to 30 times a day. When I saw blood in my poo, I thought I had cancer and was going to die.

“I was passed from pillar to post and told it was all in my head. When I finally got my diagnosis, I cried with pure relief. During my recovery I found climbing and became quickly attached, I can safely say climbing was a massive part of what helped me, it made me feel again!”