A Spinnaker abseil for teenager with Crohn’s
Molly’s cash for bowel charity
A DETERMINED school girl with a chronic illness is set to abseil from the Spinnaker Tower in a fundraising bid.
Molly Douch, 15, who suffers with Crohn’s disease, will complete the 560ft drop at the Gunwharf Quays landmark to raise cash for Crohn’s & Colitis UK alongside her godmother, Jodie Mason on May 14.
The St Edmund’s pupil was diagnosed in March 2021, and has since received a drug infusion treatment at hospital every six weeks to ease symptoms, which often leave her drained and cause hair thinning and skin sensitivity.
Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the gut and bowels causing stomach cramps and fatigue. Molly, from Milton, sees the feat as a personal challenge unlike any endeavours she’s taken on before.
It’s a charity that means ‘an awful lot’ to her.
She said: ‘I've been doing lots of fundraisers for years and the main fundraiser I have done has stopped now so I fancied doing something more personal to me. That’s why I decided to do the Spinnaker Tower for Crohn's. When I first got diagnosed, I didn't really know what it was, so I want to make sure that other kids aren't in my position and those who haven't been in my position know about it.
‘Even then when I was on YouTube it was really hard for me to find stuff. I mainly want there to be more education for kids like me because it really does suck when there's nothing there.’
So far, Molly has smashed her fundraising goal of £100, raising £385 through her Just
Giving page. Molly’s mum, Claire Douch, said: ‘For a teenage girl, it’s been really, really hard. She's really struggled mentally and physically with it. She never knows when she's going to get the cramps. It's not just about raising money for it, it's about raising awareness of IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease).
‘Fatigue is a massive problem. She cannot make a whole day at school, it just drains her. Molly wants to challenge herself. She's done challenges in the past for other charities but nothing this big. This one now is more personal.’
The Spinnaker abseil has been on Molly’s list for a while. Prior to this challenge, Molly has swam with sharks, climbed the roof of London’s O2 Arena and flown in a biplane to do her bit for charity. To donate, see Molly Douch’s fundraising page justgiving.com/fundraising/ claire-douch5.