Hi I’m Steven. I'm 32 living in a small mining village in West Lothian Scotland. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2002 at the age of 12. I went through many different types of medication until the age of 17, but unfortunately my body continually rejected them, causing me to become so unwell that I required surgery.
Surgery saved my life and I have lived with a Stoma ever since. I've had a further 2 bouts of major surgery since then.
I’m a sociable guy who likes a pint with his pals and I’m into my football where I have coached/managed several teams from youth up to professional level within the Scottish Football Association Pyramid System.
I was very lucky as my diagnosis was quicker than most, however I have heard many stories from others who have spent a long period of time waiting. This has a huge effect on people psychologically.
Steven Sharp
I decided to get involved in this campaign as I feel so strongly about helping others with IBD. The diagnosis stage can be an extremely worrying time, not just for the individual, but for their families as well. If we can speed up the diagnosis process, then hopefully we can get people the right treatment earlier and give others like myself, the best possible chance for treatment to work and focus on longer remission.
Don’t be frightened or scared to speak up. I was over the moon to get the amazing response from Hannah Bardell but for change to happen we need more politicians to follow suit! Crohn's & Colitis UK have so many fantastic tools online to help you contact the relevant people, whether that be your local politicians or health leaders.
You speaking up could create real change, and help so many other people affected by these conditions to lead freer and fuller lives. For me, if I can help just one person who’s waiting on a diagnosis to get that sooner, then I’ve made a difference.
I hope politicians will realise the seriousness of delayed diagnoses and back the campaign. Rates of Inflammatory Bowel Disease are on the rise and if we can diagnose quicker, maybe we can keep people in remission for longer and avoid the need for more hospital based treatments and emergency surgeries.
We want to thank Steven for his continuous support, and for creating a huge buzz around our early diagnosis campaign, but we need to keep the conversation going. Every year, 25,000 people get diagnosed with Crohn’s or Colitis. We know that more than a quarter have been waiting for a diagnosis for over a year.
Help us make the case for politicians and health leaders to:
- Back our public campaign to raise awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis, and help people take control of their health.
- Support our call for a national diagnostic pathway for people with lower gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Prioritise endoscopies by patient need, to get people diagnosed and on a treatment plan, rather than on an operating table.
