User Stories What Does Alice, 10 Years Old, Think About Transanal Irrigation?

Alice Tillman is really passionate about spreading knowledge of TAI –the thought of other children having to endure painful procedures because of bowel disorders like she did, makes her frustrated when there is an alternative available. She hopes that all children who need it will be able to use it and get the fun back in their life.

Getting the Family Life Back

Alice Tillman is a happy ten-year-old girl who enjoys dancing, swimming, and horse riding, growing in independence and confidence. Her parents, Anna and Peter, are planning day trips and breaks with the family. The gratitude they have for these opportunities is palpable, for Alice was born with digestive complications that inhibited her bowel function, and her diagnosis required that her parents perform an enema to empty the bowel. This was very painful, but thankfully, Alice was able to start using Transanal Irrigation – TAI, and the family was able to get their life back.

We Asked Alice What She Thinks About TAI:

I'm not afraid and it's not dangerous.

"I do not remember how old I was when I started with TAI, but I remember how good it felt compared to the enema I used to have, and I feel good now.

I can do almost anything myself, but mom and dad are always with me.

I use TAI in the evening, usually 5 days a week, I think it's great because before it was every day.

Now I can dance and ride a horse and I didn't have time for that before. I do everything my friends do now. I like to dance and ride, be with friends and watch movies.

It can sometimes be difficult with TAI, but it usually goes well, and now that I'm getting older, I can do almost everything myself, so it's much better. It doesn't hurt in the stomach like it did with the enema and the cramps."

The most important thing for Alice is that it no longer not hurts, and that she now has the time to do fun things - Anna Tillman, Alice's mother