A brave Scot walked topless through Glasgow city centre in lashing rain to show pride in his stoma bag.
Alan Ritchie was joined by a handful of others on the march from Charing Cross to George Square on Saturday with the pouch on display to help end stigma.
Shoppers and passerbys offered Alan support on his journey, with some thanking the dad-to-be for his bravery.
The 31-year-old has raised thousands for the Colostomy Association and said he plans more walks in the future.
He said: "One of the most touching things was a woman joining me on the walk who said she wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me but she is more confident now.
"She lifted up her jumper a bit and showed me the bag.
"I"m no hero, I've made mistakes in the past and I'm just an ordinary guy really- but I thought if even just walking about with my top off to raise awareness for this condition then it would be worth it."
Alan suffers from Diverticulitis Disease - a condition that causes small, bulging pouches to develop in the digestive tract before becoming infected.
The dad-to-be, from Pollok, had to have a stoma bag fitted in July 2019, but struggled with it for months before eventually having surgery to get it reversed.
But following complications he spent a terrifying six weeks in intensive care battling for his life.
He is now on the up and up, and is looking forward to having his baby with girlfriend Wendy Garvie in July.
Alan added: "It's definitely not been all roses, the bag burst the other week, but I genuinely think that if I can get the message out and help people it is worth it.
"The town was absolutely packed with people and a fair few stopped me to speak about it all.
"One woman told me her husband had died of the condition and thanked me for getting the word out.
"I'd never thought of doing anything like this before, it all just cam about when I was lying in bed two weeks ago and decided to just go for it.
"This is definitely not the end for me, I want to do another walk with more people for longer in the summer when there is better weather."
He added: "But we have got to focus on the wee baby coming first!"
At the time of writing Alan has raised around £1,115.
Ahead of the walk, Colostomy UK wished him all the best.
On Facebook, the charity wrote: "It's going to be cold! Today Alan will walk across Glasgow shirtless from Charing Cross to George Square with his stoma bag proudly on display to raise awareness and funds for Colostomy UK.
"The weather forecast predicts rain and a 'feels like' temperature of just 3°! We're sure he'd much rather have his top (and coat) on but Alan is passionate about raising awareness of living with a stoma.
"He is hoping that his story will inspire others to be more comfortable."
If you would like to donate to Alan's drive please click here.
