“It Takes a Village to live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). People with IBD simply can’t do it alone,” says Victoria Spillane, Chief Operating Officer, Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland.

For every person navigating the ups and downs of IBD, a new campaign by Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland aims to highlight the fact that no one person with IBD lives in a vacuum. They are joined by a wide circle of family, friends and many others, travelling that journey alongside them.

This year, to mark World IBD Day on Tuesday May 19, the charity is shining a light on the pivotal role that we all play in helping people to live well with IBD.

A new hands-on guide, It Takes a Village, has been published busting myths, advising on language to use, and to avoid, and offering guidance on how to be a great ally.

Essential Viewing
A major webinar is also taking place on May 19 from 7-8.15pm, featuring contributions from Dr Susan Brannick, a clinical psychologist with expertise in IBD, and clinical director with Aware, and Gogglebox Ireland TV critic, Sarah Reilly, who lives with Crohn’s disease.

Both Susan and Sarah will be highlighting the importance of having the support of the “village” when living with IBD, how to go about identifying support networks, and pointing to lots of real-world ways that we can all help. It promises to be essential viewing for all those who can play a role in supporting people with IBD. To register for the free webinar, visit www.crohnscolitis.ie/ItTakesAVillage

Perhaps more familiar to the public as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, there are approximately 50,000 people living with IBD in Ireland. These are conditions where the immune system doesn’t work properly and the body starts attacking itself, causing ulcers, swelling and inflammation of the gut.

Most common symptoms are frequent bowel motions, sometimes with blood, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, painful joints and skin rashes. While there is currently no cure, early diagnosis and treatment can help to stabilise the disease and provide for a normal quality of life.

It Takes a Village is also urging businesses to accept the Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland “No Wait” card in allowing discreet no-questions-asked bathroom access, and to sign up their participation at www.crohnscolitis.ie/IBDpledge

Pamper Baskets
For Sarah Reilly, Gogglebox Ireland TV critic, who lives with Crohn’s disease, having the support of friends and her husband, David, makes the world of difference:
“Some people minimise inflammatory bowel disease, or think that it’s just a sore stomach, which can be very frustrating. I really appreciate when people take the time to get to know what IBD is and the impact that it has. Having an understanding that things change day by day for someone with IBD, and checking in ahead of arrangements, is also really helpful. I carry a lot of guilt when I have to cancel something, so I’ll usually push through, and be there in body, but not in spirit. My friends offering to switch to more casual plans like a movie night, versus a night in a pub, can make the world of difference.

“When I’m not well, my husband David arranges to work from home so that he can cook for me. He usually eats the same bland food as me on these days, so that I’m not envious. Just letting me rest by looking after the dogs, doing the housework, and getting medication or supplies, means a lot. He’s also prone to creating little pamper baskets with self-care items, masks, candles and books, to cheer me up! Just a hug from hubby at the right time also means the world too.”

For Victoria Spillane, Chief Operating Officer with Crohn’s and Colitis Ireland, who herself lives with Crohn’s disease, each of us taking just one practical step would make the world of difference to people with IBD:
“There have been times in my life when I wished the village around me had known more and understood more, and things could have been so different. I can remember standing in an Irish concert arena, desperately needing a toilet, but being denied access to an accessible facility. I used to play basketball, yet on the days that illness left me unable to train or compete, this was often perceived as laziness rather than simply being too unwell. I can recall comments about my changing appearance, whether bloating caused by steroids, or dramatic weight loss caused by flares, remarks that education and empathy could have changed.

“Living with IBD is never an individual experience. There is not one part of life that IBD does not impact, whether it’s home, school, work, social life, travel and daily routines. There’s the mental strain, the financial pressures, the social impacts. That impact radiates outward, touching easily ten or more people—parents, siblings, partners, friends, and colleagues. With approximately 50,000 people living with IBD here, that means half a million people, and more, directly affected, through shared daily life.”

Taking “Small Risks”
For Dr Susan Brannick, clinical psychologist with expertise in IBD, and clinical director with Aware, supporting someone is about not making assumptions:
“People with IBD might often feel cautious about sharing information about their illness, or its impact on their mental health, as it’s quite personal. However, I’d encourage people to consider taking some small risks or leaps into doing that, whether that’s simply someone to talk to in times of stress, or receiving more practical support during times of flare. Sometimes it can be helpful for the person to think through what could be helpful to share with someone, and decide where their own boundaries are. For the person offering support, it’s respecting that the person may choose to share only certain information, and supporting them in that, and remembering that we don’t always have to know everything to help someone. I think it’s also important not to assume anything, or what the person might need, and instead to have a level of curiosity and not to over-promise what you can actually deliver.”

For Prof. Anthony O’Connor, consultant gastroenterologist, we need to start breaking down barriers in talking about IBD and in creating greater understanding:
“We need to destigmatise inflammatory bowel disease so that people can talk about it and thrive in their hobbies, their sports, their friendships, their relationships and their workplaces. We know that people have lost friends because of IBD. They’ve had romantic relationships that have broken up because of IBD. Some haven’t been able to achieve their potential academically or have had jobs that they have had to walk away from. It’s important that employers understand a bit more about the disease and understand where people are coming from. You know, it’s a difficult thing for people to talk about their symptoms with their boss. It’s about trying to understand what people’s lived experience is, what people are going through, and to try and support them.”

For more information on how you can support the It Takes a Village campaign, as part of World IBD Day 2026, see www.crohnscolitis.ie/ItTakesAVillage

Follow on Instagram @crohnscolitisireland #WorldIBDDay2026 #ItTakesAVillage

ENDS

Photo credit: Magdalena Smolnicka on Unsplash