We’re here when it matters for YOU, this Christmas: Ella & Elsie Christmas appeal

05 December, 2025

My name is Ella, and together with my little girl Elsie, we are proud supporters – and now fundraisers for Colostomy UK.

I couldn’t have imagined the life we live today. Elsie was just 17 months old when she had her colostomy surgery. For so long, she couldn’t pass bowel movements without suppositories. She was in constant agony and would lose consciousness from the pain she was suffering.

We tried everything: medication, laxatives, endless hospital visits but nothing worked. I was so scared when the surgeon said having stoma surgery might be her only option, but I knew deep down that it could transform her life. And it did. Elsie’s surgery gave me my happy little girl back. She’s pain-free, playful, and unstoppable, whether that’s colouring in her stoma bag and showing it off to everyone, swimming, going on family holidays, or going on adventures. Her stoma hasn’t limited her life; it’s given her one.

Colostomy UK was there for us when we needed it most – with information such as this wonderful magazine, reassurance when seeing your young child go through such a life changing procedure, and a community that truly understood my concerns for my young daughter and her new stoma. I didn’t feel alone anymore. That’s why Elsie and I decided we wanted to give something back. Over the past year, we’ve raised over £1000 through quiz nights and events, helping to ensure other families like ours never feel lost or unsupported.

But we can’t do it alone.

This Christmas, Colostomy UK need your support more than ever and now I would like to ask for your help, on their behalf.

We are a small charity that do not receive government funding, and yet the demand for their support is growing every day. Every 39 minutes, someone else in the UK undergoes stoma surgery. That’s another person who might be scared, isolated, or unsure of where to turn – just like I once was as Elsie’s mummy.

Our donations can make a world of difference, enabling Colostomy UK to not only continue to provide their wide range of resources free of charge, but also broaden their campaigning efforts to make people like my daughter’s life better.

Give a little… change a lot! Can you spare £2 a month to help keep this vital support available for people like Elsie and me?

Your generosity will help Colostomy UK continue to:

• Answer thousands of calls to their Stoma Helpline – open 365 days a year, including those made out of hours by people in
• Provide free, expert information through their magazine and online
• Provide training for people like me who care for someone with a stoma, ensuring we are equipped with the skills and confidence to deliver stoma care for those we look
• Campaign to improve public facilities and tackle stigma, so everyone with a stoma can live confidently and independently like we now

If everyone reading this letter gave as little as £2 a month, we could safeguard this support for every person who needs it – today, tomorrow, and into the future.

From one grateful mum and her little superstar, thank you for making sure Colostomy UK can be there for every family who needs them. Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a healthy new year –

Ella & Elsie Ritchie