It's not the bag I wanted for my 30th: Woman's campaign to reduce Crohn's disease stigma

Olivia Bartlett was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2020.

The Newtownabbey woman became so ill she ended up in hospital on her 30th birthday needing emergency surgery to save her life.

Crohn’s is a life-long bowel condition. It can cause extreme pain and discomfort to sufferers like Olivia.

"I would wake up every morning and was like 'what hell awaits me'," Olivia told UTV 

"I was on the toilet 20 to 30 times a day and was in bed all the time in so much pain."

Olivia, who also has diabetes, fought getting a stoma bag fitted for two years, but things became so bad it got to the point where, if she didn’t get one, she would die.

"I tried every treatment in the cupboard to avoid a stoma bag … I now have a my stoma bag. 

"It’s my bag for life I call it. I am grieving my old body but I’m so thankful for my stomach bag. 

"This is my war wounds. These are my scars.

"I’m alive today because of my stomach bag."

Olivia has captured her story on social media and is determined to break the stigma and shame about having a stomach bag.