Crohn’s sufferer refused toilet entry, fights back

A CROHN’S sufferer has told of her humiliation after she soiled herself when a supermarket staff member refused to let her use the toilet.

**ONE TIME WEB USE ONLY*** **CONTACT NETWORK PIC DESK FOR PRINT RIGHTS** Must credit HotSpot Media/Picture Media Pic By HotSpot Media - CROHN'S SUFFERER HAS HUMILIATING ACCIDENT AFTER CO-OP STAFF REFUSE TOILET ENTRY - IN PIC - Crohn's sufferer Annie Richards, 24, in hospital after an operation to remove almost 13 feet of her small intestine. - A Crohn's sufferer has told of her humiliation after she soiled herself when a Co-op staff member reportedly refused to let her use the toilet. Annie Richards, 24, visited a Plymouth branch of the supermarket in March after making the four-hour trip from her home in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, to visit a friend. Due to her condition, which causes excruciating abdominal pain and diarrhoea, she became desperate to use the toilet and stopped at the Co-operative Food supermarket in the hope of using the facilities. But Annie says she was turned away from the store by a staff member, who said she couldn't use the staff toilet due to store regulations...SEE HOTSPOT MEDIA COPY 0121 551 1004 Pic By HotSpot Media - CROHN’S SUFFERER HAS HUMILIATING ACCIDENT AFTER CO-OP STAFF REFUSE TOILET ENTRY –IN PIC- Crohn’s sufferer Annie Richards, 24, in hospital after her operation to remove almost 13 feet of her small intestine - A Crohn’s sufferer has told of her humiliation after she soiled herself when a Co-op staff member reportedly refused to let her use the toilet. Annie Richards, 24, visited the Plymouth branch in March after making the four-hour trip from her home in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, to visit a friend. Due to her condition, which causes excruciating abdominal pain and diarrhoea, she became desperate to use the toilet and stopped at the Co-operative Food supermarket in the hope of using the facilities. But Annie says she was turned away from the store by a staff member, who said she couldn’t use the staff toilet due to store regulations.………SEE HOTSPOT MEDIA COPY 0121 551 1004

A CROHN’S sufferer has told of her humiliation after she soiled herself when a Co-operative Food supermarket staff member reportedly refused to let her use the toilet.

Annie Richards, 24, visited a branch of the supermarket in the UK town of Plymouth in March, after making a four-hour trip from her home in West Midlands, to visit a friend.

Due to her condition, which causes excruciating abdominal pain and diarrhoea, she became desperate to use the toilet and stopped at the Co-operative Food supermarket in the hope of using the facilities.

But Annie says she was turned away from the store by a staff member, who said she couldn’t use the staff toilet due to store regulations.

When Annie ran back to her car to get her ‘Can’t Wait’ card — a medical card that states Crohn’s sufferers urgently need the toilet — she lost control of her bowels.

Now Annie is afraid to even leave the house in case she suffers another humiliating accident.

Annie said: “It was absolutely mortifying. I was pleading with her to let me use the toilet and I was crying my eyes out because I was in so much pain.

“But she just carried on stacking the shelves like I wasn’t even there.

“Normally I carry my card with me, but I was in such a rush to use the toilet that I left my bag in my car.

“When I went back outside to get it, I just couldn’t hold it in any longer.”

Annie Richards, 24, pictured with her 'Can't Wait' card.

The full-time mum to Cory, five, was diagnosed with Crohn’s six years ago and takes up to 30 tablets a day to combat the effects, which include extreme fatigue and bloody stools.

Last April she underwent an operation to remove almost 4 metres of her small intestine.

She struggles to eat solid foods and exists mainly on a diet of jelly and liquids, which has seen her drop 25 kilograms over the last two years.

Annie said: “Even a mouthful of food has me rushing to the toilet. It’s unbearable.

“The thing with Crohn’s is that it’s an invisible illness. To anyone else, I look like a normal girl. But it’s left me unable to work and sometimes it’s difficult to even get out of bed.

“I rarely go out, which is why it was devastating to be treated so cruelly by the Co-op. I’d had a lovely weekend, and it really knocked my confidence.

“Now I’m worried to even go out in case I have another accident.”

The Plymouth branch of the Co-operative Food supermarket where Crohn's sufferer Annie Richards was turned away.

Following the embarrassing incident, Annie posted an angry comment on the Co-operative Food’s Facebook page but the company failed to respond.

Annie said: “I was really disappointed when no-one got back to me. I feel like much more needs to be done to educate people on the effects of Crohn’s.

“Whilst I can accept that it might not be store policy to allow members of the public to use staff toilets, I would hope that people would use their common sense.

“I was clearly in a lot of pain, and as someone who used to work in a supermarket, I know I would never treat someone in that way.

“People need to understand that we’re not exaggerating when we say we need the toilet. Hopefully companies will also teach their staff about the ‘Can’t Wait’ cards so they can respond more appropriately in the future.”

Annie Richards at home.

Annie with her son Cory

Determined not to let the accident phase her, Annie is planning to complete a skydive in aid of the #GetYourBellyOut campaign, which was set up to raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis.

She said: “I won’t let what happened stop me from living my life. I want to help other people with the condition to know that they are not alone and there is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Caroline Reed, Membership Manager at Crohn’s and Colitis UK, said: “Whilst we cannot comment specifically on this incident, we do know that for many people with inflammatory bowel disease, the sudden and uncontrollable need to use a toilet is a genuine and recognised symptom of their condition.

“Having an ‘accident’ in public can have a devastating effect on their ability to undertake everyday activities, such as going to work, shopping and socialising.

“We hope that in the future staff members will be more sensitive to members of the public with ‘invisible’ diseases.”

Crohn's sufferer Annie Richards before her operation.

Annie in hospital after an operation to remove almost 4 metres of her small intestine.

A spokesperson for The Co-operative Food said: “For health, safety and insurance reasons staff toilets are not generally available to customers, but their use by customers is left to the discretion of the store team.

“We are sorry to hear about this incident and as a gesture of goodwill we will make a donation of £100 to a local Colitis and Crohn’s disease Association charity.”