This Teen’s Photos Show the Brutal Reality of Crohn’s Disease

Aimee Rouski, who suffers from Crohn’s disease, set out to shine a light on her “invisible illness” by sharing photos of her scars and ileostomy bag on Facebook.

She addressed the common misconceptions about the disease—such as that many people think Crohn’s disease is just a stomach ache—clarifying that, for her and many others, it can require major surgery. “My Crohn’s has left me with a permanent ileostomy, no large intestine, colon, rectum, anus or inner thigh muscles as they were used for plastic surgery on my wounds,” Rouski explained in the post.

Despite those battles, Rouski wrote, “I’ve always been OK with the stuff that has happened to me.” But she knows her positive attitude is unique: “Some people have real difficulties accepting these things so I just want to say this: No one will know unless you tell them. People who know will still love you and still find you beautiful. Your illness is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.”

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The post has already been shared more than 7,000 times. “I’ve never really been a very confident person, so the bag made no difference initially, but I actually feel much more confident in myself now after doing my post,” she told Metro.

See her full post below