In 2016, my mum saved my life. I had been suffering from severe abdominal pains for some time, and one night in March, after a particularly bad episode my mum decided ‘enough was enough’ and rushed me to the hospital.
That was the start of a life-changing journey for me. The next few weeks went by in a blur. I was in for a few weeks undergoing tests, CT scans, ultrasounds – it was a traumatic experience for me and my family. At one point we thought I had bowel cancer, but after a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis.
Road to recovery
Coming back home was strange after the madness of the last few weeks. I had lost a lot of weight, and it was time to plan my recovery. We started by getting a nutrition plan to increase my energy levels and help me feel better. I wasn’t fit enough to go to the gym, so I started going on short walks with my mum. It was during this time, I saw ads of the Color Run and decided to challenge myself to participate. My mum was an invaluable support for me during this time – she kept me motivated on my fitness journey, and I was able to complete the Run in September 2016. The run was a huge achievement and motivated me to keep going on my fitness path by joining Karate to improve my muscle strength. Soon after, I felt fit enough to run the 2.5 km Undies Run circuit, which I completed in just under 13 minutes. It was a wonderful event and the atmosphere was incredible. I was so proud of myself because I had gone from being not able to walk to running and running well in just under five months!
Getting on with life
I’m so thankful for all the support I have received from our family and friends as everyone helped me and my family get through the toughest year of our lives. With their help I’ve been able to continually set goals and achieve them with confidence. I now believe you can do anything you put your mind to if you chose to set goals and move on. This is my story and I hope it can inspire others who are struggling through a difficult phase in their lives. We can overcome difficulties in our life by having faith, positivity and a strong will to succeed.
