British Man Speaks Up About Crohn’s Disease on Facebook

It can be hard for people to understand a disability when it’s not immediately visible, leading to a lot of stories about people who get harassed for using handicapped parking spaces and other services because they look healthy at first glance.

Ste Walker, a 24-year-old man from England, made people online a bit more aware with his Facebook post that went viral this week. Ste lives with Crohn’s disease aka ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that affects up to 1.6 million Americans.

Ste’s post outlines the things he’s had to deal with, including having large portions of his bowels removed and taking medication through an IV. He says he hasn’t been able to eat or drink for two years, and he’s had 80 operations to treat his disease.

So far the post has 38,000 likes and 12,000 shares, and people are praising him for drawing attention to the issue. One woman has set up a GoFundMe page to help with his treatments, if you’re interested in contributing.