An expectant mum who refuses to be beaten by a digestive disorder that causes chronic diarrhoea and can sometimes see her rush to the toilet eight times before she starts her working day has thrown caution to the wind and conquered Everest. RAF Dental Officer Samantha Rose, 33, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease – symptoms of which include frequent diarrhoea, stomach cramps, passing blood and extreme fatigue – in July 2018.
But, refusing to give in to the lifelong condition, in April this year she climbed 17,598 feet to the Base Camp of the world’s highest mountain in the Himalayas. Samantha, who lives in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, with her fiancé, Daymian Underhill, 36, an adventure training instructor, said: “My mum thought I was bonkers, so did my sister and several of my friends told me not to go.
“I knew there was a risk something could go wrong. I could have a flare-up, which would not be great, as all the toilets are just holes in the floor. But I’ve gone to the toilet eight times before 7.30am and still gone to work, so I figured I’d manage okay.”
