Donation will help children with bowel diseases

Exeter families whose children have Inflammatory Bowel Diseases such as Crohn’s or Colitis can now receive extra help with the costs of travelling for treatment thanks to a £2,000 donation from the Exeter Crohn's and Colitis Committee. 

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). They affect parts of the digestive system, which includes the intestines or bowels, which can become sore and inflamed.

Dr Jim Hart, Consultant Paediatrician at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital accepted the cheque from the Exeter Crohn's and Colitis Committee Chairman Lisa Colcutt and Treasurer Kathy Flint on behalf of Bramble Ward.

The donation will be used to help families whose children are being cared for at the RD&E’s children’s ward, who may need to travel further afield to Bristol or London for more specialist treatment.

Dr Jim Hart said: “Inflammatory bowel disease is physically and emotionally and tough on patients. It is a long term condition requiring frequent hospital visits. It is bad enough that parents have to see their children battle the condition without also having to worry about the financial pressures of travel and missed work so we are really grateful to the Exeter Crohn’s and Colitis Committee for their very kind donation.”

Exeter Crohn's and Colitis Committee Chairman Lisa Colcutt added: “Having a child with Crohn’s or Colitis can put a lot of pressure on families, particularly financially if parents are unable to work or if they have to travel to Bristol for specialist appointments. We hope that this money will benefit local families and will help to make life a little easier for them. Our thanks go to all those that have given donations and held fundraising events. It's because of them that we can help our local hospitals.”

The Crohn’s and Colitis UK Exeter Committee and patient panel are made up of volunteers and offer a support network for people from Exeter and the surrounding areas. They meet at 6pm on the last Thursday of every month at the RD&E’s Outpatients department for a friendly and informal meeting. They regularly undertake fundraising and, in the past, have donated a TV and Blue-ray player for the infusion room and funded an ECG machine for Okement Ward. They have also campaigned alongside the IBD Patient Panel to secure funding for additional toilets on Okement ward.

To find out more about the group you can follow them on Facebook (Crohn’s and Colitis UK Exeter Group Facebook page) or visit www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk