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Registered Charity No: 1087941
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About HCCCST
Herts Childrens Crohns & Colitis Support
Trust (HCCCST) was established to raise funds for improving the care given to
children in Hertfordshire who suffer from Crohns and Colitis, otherwise known
as inflammatory bowel disease, and not to be confused with Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS).
Our aims are:
- To provide the best service
possible
- To support sufferers and their
families
- To promote awareness of these conditions
How can you help us to help our
children?
- Support our fundraising events
- Make a donation - this can be financial
or
- you can also donate your time or a service
- Promote awareness of these conditions.
Crohns and Colitis are silent diseases in so
much as the sufferers do not freely discuss their distressing symptoms.
Therefore society is unaware of the consequences and does not understand the
chronicity of the condition and the suffering it provokes.
Children with these diseases find it hard to
talk about their problems due to the nature of the symptoms, which include
stomach cramps, watery and bloody stools, anaemia, weight loss and lethargy.
They do not want to be seen, or treated, any differently from other children,
even though there will be times that they will not be able to do all that
their friends can. It is not unusual for children with chronic illnesses e.g.
asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, to go into denial and feel unable to discuss it
with other sufferers.
HCCCST would like to educate families,
friends, teachers and youth leaders about the symptoms and side effects of
inflammatory bowel disease, so that the children who suffer from it do not
have to discuss it if they feel they cant, and the environment they are in
will be an accepting and understanding one. A child who has to go to the
toilet 20 times a day does not want to have to put up his hand every time he
needs to leave a classroom, bringing attention to his or her self: They would
just like to slip out when the need arises. They need to be able to maintain
as much control of their lives as possible, to decide for themselves what
they are capable of doing; only the child knows if they feel fit enough to
participate in sports and other activities, and they should always be
encouraged to work within their capabilities and not pushed further. If
more were understood of the circumstances which children with Crohns and
Colitis are living under, life would be a lot more comfortable for
them. These children are very resilient and can achieve as well as, if
not better than, their friends if they are encouraged and supported with
knowledge and understanding.
On
a recent job application form, a 23 year old who has suffered from bowel
disease since the age of 12 was asked what she considered to be her biggest
achievement so far. She wrote To overcome my illness enough to allow me
to go to college for three years, to get the training required for me to work
full time in a job I love to do. This young lady had been lucky enough
to receive the support she needed from school, college and home we are
striving for more success stories of this nature.
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