(PCM) British make-up artist and former model Bethany Townsend is making headlines after she posted an image of herself in a bikini laying out with her colostomy bags in full view.
Townsend has been suffering from Crohn’s Disease since the age of three, but was not officially diagnosed until the age of 11. Because of her misdiagnosis, she was forced to have 16 inches of her bowl removed at a young age and has been on steroids, infliximab, methotrexate and every other drug going as well as being tube fed for 4 years.
After five additional surgeries, Townsends’ bowl burst four years ago and she ended up with two colostomy bags. After that incident Townsend gave up her modeling dreams.
Back in December, Townsend was vacationing in Mexico with her husband and he was always telling her that she had a great body and wanted her to wear a bikini. Finally, Townsend agreed and figured that it didn’t matter because she would most likely never see any of those people again anyway.
Townsend eventually decided to share the vacation bikini picture with the Crohn’s and Colitis UK Facebook page and it almost immediately went viral.
Townsend claims that “I felt like I finally had the confidence after three-and-a-half years of having them that I wanted to give other girls the confidence, the guys the confidence, to be like, ‘we have nothing to be ashamed of.”
We certainly think that Townsend’s act of sharing was both incredibly brave and definitely inspiring! What do you think?