I also believe it is important to help raise awareness, especially with the growth of social media where everyone seems so perfect. Thankfully, people have been really understanding and I haven’t faced any bullying when I have been open about it.
How do people react when you share your story?Įver since I was very young, I’ve been open about my story with lots of my friends and family. I also face some chronic pain and other ongoing issues related to my bowels, reproductive and urinary systems. Even with these washouts I would still have accidents in day-to-day life. Otherwise, my bowel was like a tap that was turned on and would flow constantly or totally off and blocked up. At one year of age, I began doing daily rectal washouts to induce bowel contractions and give me social continence. When I was younger, I was in and out of hospital with chest and urinary infections, chronic constipation as I do not have natural bowel contractions, further medical imaging, treatment and surgeries. What has this diagnosis meant for your day-to-day life? In terms of bowel function, my diagnosis meant that I didn’t have an anal sphincter, muscles, rectum or nerves, so I’ve been incontinent my whole life.
MODEL CATWALK FULL
At birth, I first had a colostomy and vesicostomy, then a full reconstruction at seven months old where they created the three separate openings. On the bottom end, I had cloaca where my intestine, urethra and duplicated reproductive organs came out in one channel. At the top end, I had esophageal atresia, and a fistula with my trachea – meaning there was no join from my mouth to my stomach food and water would be channelled directly into my lungs. When I was born, I couldn’t get food into my body or get it out. I am affected by vertebral abnormalities, a single kidney and a ‘plumbing problem’. Behind the scenes, I have daily struggles with chronic health issues. To look at me you would think I am a normal, ambitious 20-year-old without a worry in the world. Anja speaks to Kasia Kosidlo about her challenges and ambition to help others.Ĭould you tell us a little bit about yourself? While she’s been incontinent her entire life, she hasn’t let it get in the way of pursing her dreams. Anja was born with VACTERL Association, a disorder that affects many body systems. Three years later, she’s also focusing on another kind of modelling-being a role model for young people with chronic bladder and bowel conditions.
MODEL CATWALK PROFESSIONAL
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