A Scottish man has told of how losing his mum as a teenager from Crohn's disease sparked him into devoting his adult life battling the illness for others.
As reported by the Daily Record, 46-year-old Derek McEwan has dedicated his life to helping better the lives of those living with the condition that took the life of his mum Catherine at just 37, when he was still a teenager at 16.
He said: “You would come in and she would be doubled in pain – if she was in a flare-up she could be going to the toilet 20, 30-plus times every day.
“She had really bad bone issues and joint issues and these are all side effects.
“A lot of people think Crohn’s disease is just a bowel disease but it’s not, it goes much further than that, including crippling arthritis.”
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He added: “My mum was my best pal as well as my hero because I was watching her every day. It is a really tough thing to see, especially chronic pain – the agony, the tears.”
The death of his mum Catherine left Derek in a "very dark place", but since he created the Catherine McEwan Foundation over 20 years ago, it has helped him pull through as well as helping others.
It started as a one-off event to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis UK and evolved from there.
Recently ex-Scotland boss Alex McLeish, whose two sons Jon and Jamie have ulcerative colitis, came on board as an ambassador.
The Foundation has funded specialist positions to investigate the condition, and was the first charity to invest in a Scottish university research project, on a specific diet that is now undergoing clinical trials.
The foundation is accepting applications for a scholarship project to help youngsters who have missed schooling because of bowel disease.
One pupil who was told not to bother sitting exams was helped by the programme, managed to pass his exams and is now at university.
Derek said: “His dad phoned me when he was on his first day at uni and the two of us were in tears.”
For more details, visit the website here.
