Kelsie’s Story

Kelsie was 17 when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness. The disease causes internal bleeding, immune system issues and failure of the digestive system, with Kelsie’s bowel being her worst affected organ.

After years spent trying to control her illness with medications, including a year and a half of oral chemotherapy and multiple study trial drugs, Kelsie made the difficult decision to go ahead with ileostomy surgery. The procedure involved removing Kelsie’s entire bowel and replacing it with an ileostomy bag.

“It was terrifying and I felt so alone. I didn’t know anyone else who had this condition; I was embarrassed and was always trying to hide my illness. I was studying at university and only dreamed of having a normal life like so many around me,” Kelsie explains.

At the time of diagnosis, Kelsie was a young woman; no longer a child, but not yet a legal adult. Kelsie worked with medical specialists to determine the best treatment plan for her and she began attending appointments at the new Mater Young Adult Health Centre in Brisbane, a unique service specially designed to address the needs of young adults with chronic illness.

Established in 2015, Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane cares for patients aged 16 to 25 with chronic conditions such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis. It’s the first of its kind in Queensland and one of only a few young adult health centres in Australia.

“I honestly don’t know how I would have survived if it weren’t for the doctors and specialists at Mater’s Young Adult Health Centre.”

“The centre enabled me to bridge the divide between the adult’s hospital and the stage of life that I was at. The space is very inviting; everything from the wallpaper and the furniture, to interactive spaces where you can study or meet other young people—but really it comes down to expertise. Someone who understands how to communicate with you as a young person is going to treat you better,” Kelsie said.

Thankfully, Kelsie’s surgery was a success.

“The centre at Mater gave me something to live for. There’s inspiration there, creativity and positivity—it’s what life is all about. I can 100% say that if it weren’t for Mater’s young adult doctors and specialists, I wouldn’t have had the capacity to deal with what happened to me.”

Your support of Mater Prize Home raises much-needed funds for groundbreaking research and exceptional patient care, to help young adults like Kelsie.