Kate’s Story

Kate has been telling people about Guts UK for months and sharing our work on social media. Then one day, she contacted us to tell us she would be leaving a charitable gift in her Will to Guts UK.

Tell us a little about why you support Guts UK’s work:

I suffer from several complex, life altering digestive diseases like Crohn’s disease, gastroparesis, chronic pancreatitis and intestinal dysmotility. I have been taken through a variety of treatments, from diet and lifestyle changes, to supportive medical devices like feeding tubes and a gastric pacemaker. I recently had a gastrectomy (part or full removal of the stomach), as all other avenues had been exhausted.

Some of my diagnoses took years to obtain. It took me years to be taken seriously in some circumstances. I have the unique experience of dealing with healthcare systems in multiple countries and sadly, digestive disorders are so frustratingly underserved everywhere. Currently, none of the five digestive conditions I suffer from have a cure. They can be treated in various ways, and supportive care provided, but they are currently chronic and lifelong and to me, in 2021, this is unacceptable.

I have experienced such a lack of knowledge in the medical profession surrounding some of the disorders I suffer from. There needs to be not only better care for those with digestive diseases, but that care needs to start from the ground up. This means properly educating healthcare professionals, developing ways for better screening and diagnostic processes. Most importantly, better treatments that hopefully one day will lead to a cure.

What urged you and your husband to write a Will?

My husband and I are strong believers of the importance of having your affairs in order, regardless of your current situation. We decided to update everything, as I was about to go in for a major surgery. Though it would be unlikely for something to happen, it never hurts to be prepared.

Why did you want to support Guts UK with a gift in your Will?

Guts UK is literally the only organisation that realises all these complex issues. They share my frustrations and want to tackle them. To me, Guts UK is an organisation that not only supports an extremely underserved area of the medical community, but does so in such a personal way. The lovely team at Guts UK have quite literally won my heart from the day I found out they existed.

They are not a faceless organisation. They are active every single day in the lives of the community they touch. Their community are at the heart of everything they do. They are so different and it truly is incredible!

That said, deciding to put Guts UK into my husband and my Will was a no brainer. If something were to happen to us, I cannot think of a more deserving organisation or cause to give back to. This amazing group of people quite literally give us hope for the future that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

You cannot take anything with you when your time is up here on earth, so when making a Will, you decide what kind of legacy you’d like to leave behind. You know what you support and believe in. These conditions I have are a part of both mine and my husband’s everyday lives, so why not support the important work being done to help so many people?

Kate’s future gift ensures that Guts UK can continue to bring about important change in this misunderstood area of health. When you support Guts UK with a gift in your Will, you help us get to grips with guts and save lives, for generations to come.

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