Speaking up for ‘You’ve Got Guts’ campaign

Bellarine MP Lisa Neville is lending her voice to a national ‘You’ve Got Guts’ campaign to raise of awareness of how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can impact people of all ages.

Ms Neville revealed she struggled with her Crohn’s diagnosis as a young woman but going public with her condition has helped her to live more fearlessly and feel more supported.

IBD affects one in every 250 people and while most people are diagnosed with IBD between the ages of 14 and 25, it can affect anyone at any stage of life.

Diagnosed 24 year ago, Ms Neville is among the more than 100,000 Australians living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

“For many years I shared with only a few people that I had Crohn’s and really relied on my own ability to manage it quietly, which was not always easy,” she said.

“I relied on my gastroenterologist and immediate family to deal with it. 

“To most, I kept it a secret – seeing it as a weakness. This was of course a mistake and meant that I didn’t get the support I need.

“Since sharing my condition more broadly in recent years, the burden of Crohn’s disease has lightened significantly. It has made my working environment easier to navigate – when and why I need time off, or to leave an event suddenly or slow down a bit.”

May is National Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month and is an opportunity for people living with IBD to courageously speak up to help remove the stigma and increase the public’s understanding.

Geelong’s Patrick Lickiss was a teenager when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s and he has since gone on to set up a regional support group with help from Crohn’s & Colitis Australia (CCA).

“With limited services in regional Australia, there is often less support and information for those living with IBD in these areas,” Mr Lickiss said.

“But I have mostly been affected by the lack of contact with other people experiencing IBD. 

“I didn’t realise this was missing until I met people at a support group and felt a very overwhelming and uplifting sense of vindication for my independence developed through my experience of IBD.”

Anyone diagnosed with Crohn’s or colitis is being encouraged to support the ‘CCA’s You’ve Got Guts’ campaign by sharing their brave stories and comments on social platforms to #flushthestigma around IBD as #IBDHasNoAge.