Stomawise would like to say a big thank you to Debbie Howard
For all hard work in raising £324.87 through her hobby of making loom band bracelets and selling them in aid of the “Ostobears”
Debbie is an “Ostowife” to her mega hubby Tony who’s stoma ‘Harry’ was born in an emergency Hartmans procedure January 2012 due to severe diverticulitis and a bladder/bowel fistula.
‘Harry’ is staying as a permanent member of our family as Tony is a happy, relatively trouble free ostomate who isn’t prepared to take the risk of returning to being as ill as he was prior to surgery - he now has his life, health and fitness back, so a Baggie for life he will stay.
Tony is a fantastic advocate for stomas and ostomy issues and will talk openly to anyone who asks questions, he has never hidden his condition. He has been very lucky with a fantastic surgeon and day to day very few problems or issues, especially now he is irrigating.
We exercise regularly at the gym and play badminton every week - in fact his health panic has given us both the proverbial kick up the bum, improving life for both of us which pre-op was arranged round toilet stops and doctors visits.
I decided to raise money to donate ‘Ostobears’ after finding myself addicted to making loom band bracelets. I made and sold over 300 bracelets which I sold for £1 each, donating a total of 13 bears in a matter of a few weeks I have also for the last two Christmases donated an ‘Ostobear’ in lieu of sending Christmas cards.
Small charities (and especially ones which deal with a subject few people want to discuss) don’t get much publicity or patronage and I just wanted to do what I could. I think the ‘Ostobears’ are a fantastic thing for the children who have to go through stoma surgery and hopefully every one donated makes a child smile at least once!!
I would like to thank several people who helped in the selling of the bands - all at REM, Tuffnells Parcels Express and Matthew Kibble Transport, Shirley Brooks, Nicola Caine and Jean Howorth.
