Doncaster youngster with Crohn's disease completes Alton Towers charity run

11-year-old Tiberius Batchelor took part in the huge fundraising event at the weekend, raising more than £700 for Crohn’s & Colitis UK.

Dad Nathan said: “Tiberius is a huge Alton Towers fan and took part in the race for the charity that supports him.

“He was diagnosed with Crohn’s in March 2022 and has enjoyed many visits to Alton Towers so this is a perfect fundraising activity for him.

“Every four weeks, he spends a day at Sheffield Children’s Hospital for an infusion to keep symptoms at bay, along with regular MRIs and colonoscopies. We are lucky to be so close to such a great hospital.

"Hopefully a cure for IBD rather than treatment for symptoms will be found.”

You can donate to his appeal HERE

What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn's disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.

It's one type of a condition called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn's disease affects people of all ages. The symptoms usually start in childhood or early adulthood.

The main symptoms are diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, blood in your poo, tiredness and weight loss.

The symptoms may be constant or may come and go every few weeks or months. When they come back, it's called a flare-up.

When to see a GP

See a GP if you or your child have:

blood in your poo

diarrhoea for more than 7 days

frequent stomach aches or cramps

lost weight for no reason, or your child's not growing as fast as you'd expect

Treatments for Crohn's disease

There's no cure for Crohn's disease, but treatment can help reduce or control symptoms.

The main treatments are medicines to reduce inflammation in the digestive system or surgery to remove a small part of the digestive system.

Causes of Crohn's disease

The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown.

It's thought several things could play a role, including: your genes – you're more likely to get it if a close family member has it, a problem with the immune system, that causes it to attack the digestive system, smoking, a previous stomach bug and an abnormal balance of gut bacteria.