A mum has described how an undiagnosed disease, which could have cost her her life, forced her to miss her daughter's first Christmas and even her own engagement party.

It took several years before doctors were able to confirm that Jade Porter, 32, was suffering from Crohn's disease.

Jade, who works at a car dealership, said she had experienced sickness and abdominal pain from a young age but the cause had always been a mystery.

In 2015, after being told by medics it could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome, doctors reassessed her symptoms at the age of 25.

After spending several weeks where she could not stop being sick and experienced excruciating stomach pain and toilet frequency, doctors carried out blood tests which revealed high levels of inflammation and she was immediately admitted to hospital.

Jade with husband Tom and little Nellie Bea at Jade’s 30th birthday party (
Image:
Jade Porter)

Once at hospital, Jade was given a CT scan which showed her bowel had perforated, leading to a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. But the diagnosis was only the start of the journey, Derbyshire Live reports.

“It was really scary,” she said. “I was rushed for emergency surgery and told I have Crohn’s disease - something I had never heard of. I had 12 inches of my bowel removed between the large and small bowel.

"Afterwards, I was told that if I hadn’t had the surgery within 48 hours, I might have died. Since then, I have been on numerous different medications.”

As a result of her diagnosis and surgery, Jade and her now husband, Tom, had to cancel their engagement party with the pair left scared about what the future might hold for them, but they were never alone. "There was always someone by my bedside.

"My dad called in sick for the first time ever at work to visit me in the hospital. But his manager said, ‘I’m not putting you down as sick, I don’t want to break your record!’ It was a relief to know what was wrong, but what it meant was scary. I had to accept a new life.”

Two years after her diagnosis of Crohn's Disease, Jade's father found out he had cancer and, in 2017, was told he only had three to six months to live. As a result, Jade and her fiance decided to bring their wedding forward so her father could walk her down the aisle.

Jade and with her father on her wedding day in 2017 (
Image:
Jade Porter)

In 2018 the pair welcomed their daughter, Nellie Bea, into the world but, because of the medication Jade was taking, her daughter had a lower immune system than usual at first. Jade's dad did get to see his granddaughter prior to his death two months after she was born. Two days after his death, though, Mrs Porter suffered one of her worst flare-ups and was admitted to hospital.

"I had spent weeks by my dad’s bedside in hospital. It was horrible to ring mum to say that I also needed to go to hospital after we had already spent so much time there, but I was in agony.”

Jade was in hospital for Christmas, missing her daughter's first festive season, and she admitted that she never felt so low. "Christmas has always been amazing for me. The thought of not being at home with my family, and not being able to celebrate and spoil my daughter at Christmas, crushed me,”.

She added: “It was a surreal day because my dad was not there, I wasn’t at home, and my family and friends were taking turns to come and visit me at the hospital.”

Jade is now learning to live with her disease and credits the Crohn's and Colitis UK website as a source of help for her, especially during the tougher times. "With my illness, I have good and bad days like everyone.

"My hardest challenge, though, is portraying my symptoms to others who don’t always understand my illness. I would feel isolated without my family and friends. They ask questions and understand.”

Read More

Read More

Read More

Read More

Read More