You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: Arella’s Story

01 October, 2026

With Stoma Aware Day coming up, I wanted to share a part of our story in the hope that it might help another parent or carer who is feeling overwhelmed, know that they’re not alone.

My daughter, Arella is 3 years old and has had her stoma since May 2026. When we first came home, I honestly found caring for her stoma really difficult. There was so much to learn, with new products, prescription services and I found the new routines difficult to navigate and at times, it felt so overwhelming. I remember having a day where I felt upset and thought about how much my life had changed almost overnight and then I felt guilty for feeling that way. I wasn’t the one who had gone through the surgery, recovery and the one who now had to live with a stoma.

Since starting our page, I’ve realised just how much support is out there. I’ve connected with so many amazing people living with a stoma and other parents and carers who completely understand the highs, the lows and everything in between. If you’re living with a stoma, or caring for someone who is, please don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether it’s through Colostomy UK, support groups or finding other stoma accounts online, there is a whole community of people who understand.

The stoma community has supported me through some hard days and honestly, I don’t know how I would have managed some of them without that support.

So if you’re struggling, please remember that your feelings are valid too. You’re allowed to find it hard. You’re allowed to have bad days. And most importantly, you don’t have to do it alone.

How You Can Get Involved

You can now visit the Stomas Unlocked campaign to learn all about each of our campaign initiatives, as well as discovering the many ways you can support us across all three themes.

We hope you will join us as we build towards Stoma Aware Day 2026.

Together, we can Unlock Understanding. Unlock support. Unlock Choice.