For years, I lived in pain. Exhausted, scared, and constantly dismissed by doctors who chalked my symptoms up to stress or food intolerances. It started after the birth of my second daughter in 2016: bloating, bathroom urgency, unbearable pain. I followed every bit of advice, cutting gluten, tracking food, going low-FODMAP, but nothing helped. I dropped below 50kg, looked visibly unwell, and still, no one listened. Deep down, I knew something was seriously wrong, but I began to blame myself.

After multiple ER visits and being sent home with painkillers and vague advice, my world shrank. I avoided travel, wore nappies for school drop-offs, and lived in fear. The lowest point came in 2023 after my third baby, I collapsed from severe bleeding and was rushed to hospital. Again, I was dismissed. Until I nearly died. A sigmoid scope finally revealed severe Ulcerative Colitis. I later learned signs had been missed years earlier.

That experience changed everything. I became an IBD advocate, speaker, and now, author. Determined to make sure no one else feels as lost and alone as I did. The Ultimate IBD Handbook is the guide I needed: full of real stories, practical tools, and support tailored to the Australian system. If you’re navigating IBD or supporting someone who is, there is hope, there is help, and you are not alone.