Over 200,000 people in the UK are living with a stoma bag - a small, waterproof pouch used to collect waste from the body. For many, adjusting to a colostomy can be extremely difficult at first, taking a toll on their mental and physical health.
The surgery can impact a person's self-confidence, as well as their intimate relationships due to the stigma surrounding stomas and pooing into a bag.
Lucy Jane, a 24-year-old local influencer from Rochdale, has a bowel disease called Ulcerative Colitis. This is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed, and small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, which can bleed.
