‘The Traitors’ star Mollie Pearce is urging people to banish the ‘taboo around poop’ as she leads a new campaign on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
IBD is a general term for conditions that cause severe stomach pain and diarrhea, the best known of which are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Mollie, 22, has had ulcerative colitis since she was 11 and is keen to help others suffering from symptoms she says many are embarrassed to talk about.
As part of this, she is leading a new campaign called Where’s Crohn’s and Colitis?, which invites people to play an online game to learn more about the “invisible condition” of IBD.
“Living with a condition like ulcerative colitis comes with many challenges, from sometimes not being able to leave the house to missing out on social occasions with friends,” she said.
Mollie was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 11 and often suffered anxiety and panic attacks from needing to go to the bathroom in her teens. Here she is pictured at the Make-A-Wish Ball held at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Finally they made a stoma, an opening that connects the intestine with a surgically created hole in the surface of the waist that attaches to the pouch. She credits the operation with giving her a new sense of security and banishing her anxiety about getting out of it.
I hoped the new Where’s Crohn’s and Colitis? campaign, which is inspired by the iconic ‘Where’s Wally?’ series, would provide a fun new way for people to engage and learn about the topic.
Mollie is not alone: an estimated one in 277 Britons has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
The condition causes small lesions to develop in the lining of the colon that can bleed and become infected.
Sufferers may experience symptoms such as blood in the stool and the sudden need to go to the bathroom.
Speaking to MailOnline, Mollie recalled how difficult high school was while she was experiencing symptoms and how it led to the 15-year-old having panic attacks over finding a toilet.
“You don’t want to get dirty at any time, much less in high school,” he said.
This anxiety extended to many aspects of her life and it was not until she had a stoma at the age of 18 that she finally managed to overcome it.
“It took me a while to get used to the bag, obviously, but I knew I wasn’t going to have an accident and the anxiety doesn’t affect me anymore,” he said.
A stoma is a surgically created opening on the surface of the abdomen that connects to the intestine and diverts the flow of feces or urine into a special bag that is attached to it at the waist.
They are generally only recommended for severe cases of ulcerative colitis that do not respond to medications but give patients, like Mollie, a renewed sense of independence and security.
Mollie added that she hoped the campaign would help raise awareness of IBD conditions and help break the taboo people have about discussing toilet habits with their doctor.
“People who have symptoms sometimes don’t go to the doctor because they feel embarrassed,” he said.
“I want to try to change that and make sure no one feels embarrassed when it comes to their UC.”
‘The Traitors’ star Mollie Pearce became a household name during the show and is now hoping to raise awareness about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Mollie previously posed proudly with her stoma bag in photo shoots in a bid to dispel the stigma surrounding them.
Ulcerative colitis runs in Mollie’s family and her father also suffers from the condition.
He said this made it particularly “frustrating” for his parents when he first experienced symptoms, as it still took eight months for them to get a diagnosis.
“My first symptom was blood in my stool, just a little bit,” he said.
‘I remember calling my mom thinking I had started my period.
“It started to get worse from there, I had more blood, my stools became much more liquid, I went to the bathroom much more frequently and then I started to lose control of my bowels completely.”
What is a stoma?
A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that serves to divert the flow of urine and stool.
According to the NHS, this procedure may be necessary if you are unable to pass stool through the anus, which could be the result of an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system.
In the UK, it is estimated that one in 335 people have had this surgery.
The procedure can be part of treatment for a number of diseases, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, or any trauma to the abdomen.
The stoma will usually be “pink and very similar to the inside of our mouth.” After surgery, you will be swollen, but this will go down in six to eight weeks.
There is no sensation when touching a stoma, as there are no nerves, but different people will have theirs in different sizes or shapes.
It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which could then be reversed, if the diseased or damaged area of the intestine needs to heal over time.
A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that serves to divert the flow of urine and stool. Stock image used
Fountain: Colostomy UK, National Health Service
Mollie said she understood that doctors had to rule out many other conditions that ulcerative colitis symptoms might indicate, and at one point doctors ruled out her problems as an infection, but she said it was difficult for her parents.
“It was difficult, my dad has colitis, so we knew what it was,” he said.
‘My mum was very inflexible and she used to go in there and scream and shout, “you’re not doing anything, it’s getting worse.”‘
I hoped the new Where’s Crohn’s and Colitis? campaign, which is inspired by the iconic ‘Where’s Wally?’ series, would provide a fun new way for people to engage and learn about the topic.
“The really nice thing about the game is that it’s not too serious,” he said.
‘You’re not reading pages and pages of all this horrible information that’s going to overwhelm you. It’s really great for that.
“When I was 11, that game would have been perfect for me, because I would have understood it.”
Mollie also hoped that people would use what they learned from the campaign not only for themselves but also for their family or friends who may have IBD symptoms.
“Everyone poops, everyone goes to the bathroom, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, we all do it,” he said.
‘There’s no need to feel embarrassed about something everyone does.
“Go out and see your GP and be honest with them.”
People can participate in the Where’s Crohn’s & Colitis program, developed by South Korea-based biopharmaceutical company Celltrion, in this link.
Crohn’s disease, the other most commonly known IBD, is a condition in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
It causes symptoms similar to those of UC, and like that condition, experts are still trying to figure out what triggers it.
Both Crohn’s disease and UC can be difficult to diagnose, as they can cause symptoms that can be triggered by other health conditions.
Cases are usually confirmed using small flexible cameras inserted into the rectum to examine the colon and intestine.