Peta Eriksson

When you picture childhood, you imagine playground mayhem and endless energy. But for our daughter Charlotte, now 9, the past year has been shaped by a very different reality, living with a chronic illness called Crohn's disease.

At 8 years old, Charlotte was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause a wide range of painful and exhausting symptoms. 

Charlotte's older sister Ella had already been diagnosed with it, so we were familiar with the symptoms and the struggles it brings. This time though with Charlotte's symptoms, they were different to Ella's symptoms.

When Charlotte began to complain of daily stomach pain, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. The symptoms started adding up:

• Severe constipation that didn’t improve with typical treatments

• Frequent, painful mouth ulcers

• Constant fatigue and lethargy

• Anemia, which left her pale and low-energy

• And watching her get in the car after school in tears due to stomach pain.

It was all too familiar. Knowing her sister’s journey helped us recognise the warning signs early, and we were able to advocate for Charlotte more confidently. 

Thankfully we already had an excellent Paediatric Gastroenterologist, so after rounds of appointments, blood work, colonoscopies and specialist visits, the diagnosis was confirmed, Crohn’s disease. 

Crohn’s is a chronic, incurable illness that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. It can affect every child differently and often comes with flares that are unpredictable and draining. Even with medication and care, it’s a lifelong condition that requires constant attention and adjustment.

For Charlotte, the biggest challenge is the pain that starts first thing in the morning. She often wakes up with stomach pain before the day has even begun. After long school days, when she’s done her best to keep it together, the car ride home is when it tends to catch up with her.

On top of the stomach issues, lethargy makes even small tasks feel monumental, and mouth ulcers can make eating uncomfortable. Despite eating some what well, she struggled with low iron levels, leading to anemia and even more fatigue.

Having one child with Crohn’s disease is an upsetting diagnosis but having two has reshaped how we do things.

This journey has taught us to never ignore patterns, especially when it comes to health. Recognizing similarities between Charlotte’s and her sister’s symptoms helped us push for answers early.

We've also learned the importance of advocacy. 

Pediatric Crohn’s can be hard to diagnose because symptoms are often mistaken for "just" constipation, anxiety, or picky eating. But as parents, we know when something isn’t right—and that instinct is worth trusting.

More than anything, we’ve learned that our girls are incredibly strong and learning to be resilient. 

We’re sharing Charlotte’s story not for sympathy, but for awareness. Pediatric Crohn’s is more common than people think, and often, children suffer in silence before they’re properly diagnosed.

If you're a parent seeing similar signs—persistent stomach pain, fatigue, mouth ulcers, or unexplainable anemia, especially if there's a family history of IBD, don’t wait. Advocate. Push. Ask for testing.