A BRAVE young girl from Church Stretton is helping to raise awareness of a debilitating illness.
Natalya Drakeford is just 10-years-old but is working with her mum Tanya to raise awareness and money through a charity called the Purple Flowers Foundation.
The charity is in support of people suffering from a condition known as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
Natalya was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and is under treatment. This involves trips to hospital in Telford.
It is an unpleasant condition that affects the digestive system and can be extremely debilitating. As well as being painful the condition can also cause sudden incontinence.
“Natalya is going through a tough time at the moment as we try to get the treatment right,” said Tanya.
In some cases the condition can be controlled by medication but in others surgery is necessary to remove part of the bowel.
The charity is called Purple Flowers Foundation as it relates to purple flowers that can be made from toilet paper.
“We want more people to understand Crohn’s Disease and the way that it affects people,” said Tanya.
A number of events have been held including most recently an evening of entertainment at Ludlow Brewery on Saturday, February 28.
For more information visit www.purpleflowersfoundation.co.uk
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