Determined not to let her condition hold her back, fourteen-year-old Writhlington School pupil, Tayla Lye-Taylor has been living life to the full, whilst spreading the word to other people who may have been through the same.

Aged just seven, Tayla was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, with her conditioning worsening last year. She spent three months in hospital, had to have an ileostomy, where the small intestine is diverted through an opening in the abdomen, and has been wearing a bag from January this year.

Tayla has featured in the local media, being ‘proud of her pouch’, and was pictured wearing her bag in a bikini, even featuring in a television interview. Proud of her courage, her family held a fundraiser at home in Withyditch, raising an amazing £3,179.15 for the charity, Crohn’s and Colitis UK. They held an open house with a swimming party, with cakes and jams for sale, and a fundraising raffle, which included prizes donated by friends and local businesses.

Tayla’s grandmother, Lyn Lye, said: “She has been so brave – and we hope that through the fundraising, more people will talk about this condition, and bring it to light, so that those living with it can support one another. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved with the fundraiser.”