Seventeen years ago, Chantal was lying in a hospital bed when doctors told her she had ulcerative colitis. At the time, the hope was that medication would help her manage it. For many years, it did. She finished school, played college soccer, became a teacher, got married, and welcomed two children. Life was busy and full.
Years later, after returning from a trip, Chantal began facing infection after infection. Eventually, she was hospitalized during one of the most difficult flare-ups she had experienced. Surgery was suddenly part of the conversation, and she felt uncertain about what life might look like next.
Around that time, she came across Brittany on social media. Brittany had been diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease three years earlier and needed life-saving ostomy surgery. During her own recovery, she began sharing her story online to help others living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) feel less alone.
One message turned into a conversation, and that conversation grew into a friendship neither of them expected.
When Chantal reached out with questions about ostomy surgery, recovery, and the realities of living with IBD, Brittany was there to share what she had learned. What Brittany didn’t realize at the time was how much she also needed that connection. After spending months in a hospital bed during her own journey, she knew how isolating these diseases could feel. Finding someone who truly understood brought comfort and strength to both of them.
Over the past two years, their friendship has grown far beyond social media. Their kids, both identical ages, have attended the same camps; they’ve met for coffee, and they’ve even shared their experiences together with nursing students to help educate future healthcare providers about ostomies and life with Crohn’s or colitis.
Today, they continue to celebrate each other’s milestones, support one another through the challenges that come with chronic illness, and remind each other that connection matters. Chantal proudly joined Brittany in supporting the Gutsy Walk this year, where Brittany served as Honourary Chair and Chantal joined her as Community Champion and fellow advocate.
Their story is a reminder that when you share your experience, you never know who might need to hear it. Sometimes, a simple message can create a connection that brings hope, understanding, and community to someone who needs it most.