A woman who dropped six stone after pooing 30 times a day celebrated being back to full health - by solo travelling in a van.

Matilda Crome, 24, was diagnosed with the rare bowel condition Crohn's disease - which causes the digestive system to become inflamed.

Her symptoms began aged 14 while on holiday in Italy and put her 'gassy stomach' down to eating lots of pizza.

Back home, her issues were dismissed by doctors as period pains or IBS - but Matilda feared it was more serious when she found blood in her poo.

Her condition became so severe that she took her GCSE exams in her bed at her home in Manchester, with an invigilator sat next to her.

At her worst, Matilda lost a staggering six stone and nearly died after developing sepsis.

But new medication meant Matilda was healthy enough buy a van and go on a solo climbing trip, travelling to Spain and Morocco in October 2023 and February 2024.

After returning, she underwent surgery to remove her colon and reattach her small bowel to her rectum, and now hopes to go travelling again.

Matilda, who cannot work due to her condition, from Manchester, said: “I was going to the toilet up to 30 times a day.

"When I saw blood in my poo, I thought I had cancer and was going to die.

“I was past from pillar to post and told it was all in my head.

“When I finally got my diagnosis, I cried with pure relief.

“During my recovery I found climbing and became quickly attached, I can safely say climbing was a massive part of what helped me, it made me feel again!”

Matilda started going to the toilet more frequently while she was on holiday with her parents in Rome, Italy, aged 14.

They assumed she might have a gluten intolerant from eating pizza, but her symptoms continued to get worse at home.

Things escalated until she noticed blood in her stool and two years later, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

Matilda battled severe Crohn’s symptoms whilst sitting her GCSE exams in 2016, aged 16.

She said: "Part of me was happy to know what was causing it, although I now faced a life ahead of me with a and a chronic illness.

“I was determined to sit my GCSEs despite how poorly I was feeling.

“We had a note on the front door which said exam in progress, which was quite funny!”

Despite being put on various medications, including steroids and monthly injections, Matilda was in "constant pain".

She became housebound and couldn't go anywhere unless she knew there was a toilet nearby.

Her weight plummeted to just over five stone and she making constantly trips to A&E.

In 2020, when she was 20 years old, she was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary hospital and "nearly died".

She said: “I truly owe my life to my IBD doctor, who fought for a bed in hospital for me.

“Without her I believe I would’ve died multiple times.

“I remember one night I was sure my body was going to give up and I wasn’t going to wake up.

“My parents tell me now how lucky I was.