Sam Galbraith & DISCO Balls
This story is part of the Guts UK Pancreatitis Awareness Campaign.
Sam has had a number of episodes of acute pancreatitis and is the manager of a sports club in Haywards Heath, known as DISCO Balls. DISCO balls chose Guts UK as their charity of the year to support our vital research into pancreatitis, and they’re having the best of fun doing so!
When you mention pancreatitis, what is the usual reaction?
When I talk about my episodes with pancreatitis, the majority say they’ve never heard of it. To be honest, I wasn’t that aware of it before it happened to me and admit I’m still learning to this day about the role of the pancreas and how pancreatitis affects this.
I made lifestyle changed (including zero alcohol intake) over 3 years ago. Friends and family have fully supported me, but on ever social occasion it would still be a subject of discussion. As you can imagine, being part of the rugby and sports scene the social side of things plays a very big role!
How did you come across Guts UK?
I discovered Guts UK with their 2018 Kranky Panky campaign, and I’m delighted to be a part of it myself for 2019. I saw 30 pancreatitis stories and found it refreshing to know I’m not alone. I was amazed at the amount of valuable content too.
It was relevant for personal reasons, but bearing in mind the feedback from friends and family – it was apparent that the subject surrounding digestive diseases was not as highly regarded or known about as it should be.
What did DISCO Balls get up to over the summer?
We’ve been busy throughout the summer playing in competitions and festivals across the country. On our travels, we always make sure to bring our ‘Guts Gear’ with us, raise awareness and spread the gut health love. Guts UK’s logo has completed our kits this year and we’ve loved flying their flag wherever we go.
What you can do:
Fancy fundraising for Guts UK? Have a coffee morning or dinner party with our pancreatitis quiz for the Kranky Panky Weekend. Or maybe you take our quiz and ‘Pin the Pancreas on the Person’ game into work with a collection tin? Your donations will make our research into pancreatitis happen. Thank you.
Guts UK is the only UK charity funding a research fellowship into pancreatitis. Donate to Guts UK today to play your vital part in research into pancreatitis.
