Local resident Derek Trick would like to make people in Frome aware of the IBD UK campaign in support of ‘World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day’ (IBD) on Wednesday 19th May.
IBD UK is lobbying the Government to seek better care for almost half a million people in Britain living with this complex, fluctuating, and debilitating condition. IBD is more commonly known as Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.
Derek was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis relatively late in life, but people under 40 are more vulnerable.
However, he would like to be in contact with other local people to develop an IBD patient’s liaison group in the area.
“Sufferers often find it difficult to find a way to openly discuss what can be an embarrassing subject, with their family, their friends or work colleagues,” explains Derek, “and it would be good to have a local group who could share their problems and solutions.”
Front runners in research and development, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, have successfully run a number of awareness campaigns such as ‘All Disabilities are not Visible’ and ‘Emergency Toilet Access’ at shops and businesses.
‘It takes guts to talk’ is the latest campaign to open communications with people who may not be aware or understand the condition.
There is a general medical overview that nobody really knows what triggers IBD, so Crohn’s and Ulcerative UK have initiated an extensive research project through the country’s top medical facilities at universities, and are currently campaigning for £1million to fund the project.
Derek himself is a volunteer patient between his treatments at Bath’s Royal United Hospital, for a research project with Exeter University, studying the interaction of IBD drugs in relation to covid research.
For more details, visit www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk and to contact Derek, email: derektrick@ sky.co. uk
