text: Former Model Poses in Bikini with Colostomy Bags 
   
   Sofia Bouzidi / Cater News 
   
   A lot of women out there have, at one time or another, worried about how they look in a bikini. And Bethany Townsend was no different.The British makeup artist, who suffers from Crohn's disease, thought her two-piece days were behind her after she was fitted with two colostomy bags in 2010, but on a Christmas vacation in Mexico, her husband, Ian, persuaded her to strip down."My husband always said to me, 'If we go on holiday, I want you to wear a bikini. You've got a great body,' " Townsend, 23, told BBC Midlands Today "The first day I was like, 'Okay, let's do it.' I'm not gonna see these people again, that's how I looked at it."Townsend, who's battled the intestinal disease since she was 3, had given up modeling after she had the bags fitted when her bowel burst and she nearly died. "My confidence was totally knocked," she says.So finding the courage to strip down was a transformative experience, and she decided to share a bikini pic with the Crohn's and Colitis UK Facebook page "I felt like I finally had the confidence after three-and-a-half years of having them that I wanted to give other girls the confidence, the guys the confidence, to be like, we have nothing to be ashamed of," she says.She was surprised when the photo went viral, being viewed by millions, and says the response has been so positive that she's now planning to return to modeling part-time."I never thought it would get a response like that," Townsend admits. "For me it's just a picture, but to so many other people, it's so much more." ||||| A former model struck down by Crohn’s disease plans to return to the profession after bravely posing for pictures which exposed her colostomy bags. 
   
   The photo - which shows the first time Bethany Townsend, 23, dared to bare after being fitted with two of the bags - has now been viewed be over an incredible nine million people. 
   
   Bethany, a make up artist from Worcester, has been so overwhelmed by the response that she now feels confident enough to resume her dream career of becoming a full-time model. 
   
   Bethany Townsend now has the confidence to resume modelling 
   
   Bethany said: "I didn't expect this kind of reaction at all. 
   
   "The photo has been seen by millions of people and it's had 190,000 likes and over 10,000 comments on Facebook - it's just gone ballistic. 
   
   "I'm just so glad that it's brought about more awareness of Crohn's disease and it's made me feel so much more confident about the colostomy bags. 
   
   "If I can inspire or help other people in my position to feel a little more comfortable in their own skin then I'm really happy. 
   
   "When I first had the bags fitted I was devastated - the reaction to this photo has really helped me accept them." 
   
   Bethany was fitted with her colostomy bags after having suffered from Crohn's disease since the age of three. 
   
   It is a condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system, affecting the sufferer's ability to digest food, absorb nutrients and eliminate waste. 
   
   Bethany was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was just three 
   
   In extreme situations, like Bethany's, it becomes necessary to remove the damaged section of the intestine and bring the healthy part out as a stoma - known as a colostomy. 
   
   After almost dying when her bowel ruptured in 2010, Bethany woke from a life saving operation to find she had been fitted with two colostomy bags. 
   
   Bethany said: "Growing up I'd had various surgeries to try and combat the Crohn's. 
   
   "I'd go in and have sections of my intestine cut out, but I'd only be in remission for a couple of weeks before it came back again. 
   
   "Then, four years ago I woke up in the morning and couldn't move because I was in so much agony. I had to break a glass on the floor to alert my mum who called on ambulance. 
   
   "When the paramedics came they lifted up my top to see that my surgery scar had split open. 
   
   The 23-year-old has been fitted with two colostomy bags 
   
   "I was rushed to intensive care where they doctors told me family I would need more surgery as my intestines had become infected and inflamed again. 
   
   "I had no idea when I woke up that I would have the bags. 
   
   "When I first woke up and my mum told me about them I was just relieved as I'd thought I was going to die. 
   
   "When I came out of hospital and everything finally sunk in, I remember going upstairs into my bedroom and just bursting into tears. 
   
   "I'd known a colostomy bag might have been an option but it was always something that I had wanted to avoid. 
   
   "I had a really good cry that day, and since then I haven't shed another tear - I've just got on with it I suppose." 
   
   It was only after Bethany met and married her husband, Ian, 33, and jetted off to Mexico last Christmas that she finally felt ready to accept the colostomy bags. 
   
   Townsend credits her husband's support with boosting her self-esteem 
   
   Bethany said: "When I met Ian I showed him my bags straight away, but he didn't bat an eye lid - I actually felt like I was over reacting. 
   
   "He taught me that there was more to me than the bags and would always encourage me to show off my figure. 
   
   "I wasn't sure but in Mexico I finally realised he was right, and decided to wear my bikini. 
   
   "At first I was nervous and worried that people would stare but it was fine. I realised that the colostomy bags didn't control me or define who I am. 
   
   "The staff at the hotel asked me about the bags on the last day of the holiday, but rather than being offended I was glad because it meant I could talk to them about Crohn's and tell them what it is. 
   
   "Ian's always been my rock and supported me no matter what, we've had a tough few years but I know he'll always be there for me." 
   
   But it wasn't until six months after their dream holiday in Mexico that Bethany finally felt ready to share her colostomy bags with the world. 
   
   Bethany said: "When you're on holiday you're in a bit of a bubble and it's much different to when you're back at home. 
   
   "I'd posted a few pictures to Instagram and Facebook but only my friends could see them. 
   
   "But after looking on the internet I saw a few other pictures of girls like me showing off their bags so I thought why not. 
   
   "I decided to get in touch with Crohn's and Colitis UK Facebook group to see if they would let me post something on their page. 
   
   "I sent them the picture and my information, and it all blew up from there." 
   
   Bethany still suffers with her Crohn's disease and hopes ones day for a cure. 
   
   She said: "Doctors had hoped that the colostomy bags would put an end to the Crohn's but four weeks later it was back. 
   
   "I then underwent a stem cell transplant but unfortunately I caught MRSA of the skin and the blood and it nearly killed me twice. 
   
   "Since then my Crohn's has still been extremely active, I've lost more weight and now I'm waiting for the NHS to fund a drug that hasn't really been in the UK. 
   
   "If this doesn't work a bowel transplant is in talks as I can't have anymore of my intestine out as I haven't got much left. 
   
   "But I'm still really hopeful and after everything I've been through I know I'm a strong person." 
   
   Bethany is now considering getting back into modelling - a career she gave up on after she was fitted with the bags. 
   
   Bethany said: "I feel confident enough now to put myself out there and pursue modelling again. 
   
   "I did a little bit of work here and there before I had the colostomy bags, but once I had them fitted I thought that was the end of the dream. 
   
   "I'm looking forward to chasing my goals, and I know now that nothing can hold me back. I won't let the Crohn's control me anymore." ||||| See more of Crohn's & Colitis UK on Facebook ||||| Bethany Townsend is a make-up artist from Worcester, England. She's also an aspiring model. But what makes her different from most girls who dream of seeing their faces in Vogue is that she was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at three years old. And in 2010, had to be fitted with two colostomy bags. What makes her even more different is that instead of isolating herself, abandoning her dreams, or shutting herself away from the love and attention of others, she has embraced her condition — and redefined beauty along the way. 
   
   Crohn's Disease in is an inflammatory bowel condition. Normally, the intestines suffer most, and in extreme cases (like Townsend's) the intestine actually needs to be partially removed in order to bring the healthy part out as a stoma (or artificial opening). It is in these cases that patients are fitted with colostomy bags in their lower abdomens to facilitate digestion and bowel movements. The surgery in and of itself is life changing. It is traumatic. It makes it so for the rest of their lives, people will have an extra weight to carry, physically and emotionally. And so what Townsend did by posing in photos with her bags in full view, and then sharing them with the world via social media, isn't just brave; it's beautiful. Now seen by over nine-million people, and liked over 190,000 times on Facebook, it's no surprise that viewers are gravitating to this young woman who has dared show off what makes her unique. 
   
   The average age for stomate surgeries is 68. Townsend is only 23. To have to undergo such a difficult operation whilst still so young is undoubtedly more difficult than most of us can ever imagine. But with the help of her now husband, Ian, Townsend found a renewed sense of confidence despite the colostomy. She told Huffington Post UK, "When I met Ian I showed him my bags straight away, but he didn't bat an eye lid... He taught me that there was more to me than the bags and would always encourage me to show off my figure." Looking at photos of Townsend, there is life in her eyes. And she really is stunning — with the petite, angular figure so many agencies would die to have in their books. 
   
   In a world so focused on aesthetics, where differences and "flaws" are rejected rather than embraced, Townsend is the type of person really making a change. Her courage is reminiscent of that of Elly Mayday, plus-size model and cancer survivor who has posed with scars and shaven head in full view. It is these individuals — unapologetically bold individuals — who will inspire change and encourage those with scars or imperfections to proudly showcase their bodies, and themselves. 
   
   Despite being devastated post-surgery, waking up to find the bags already in place unexpectedly, Townsend has truly turned things around. She told HuffPost, "If I can inspire or help other people in my position to feel a little more comfortable in their own skin then I'm really happy." But the thing is, I can't imagine her photos will only inspire Crohn's patients; they'll inspire everyone. They'll inspire everyone feeling bad about their bodies. They'll inspire those suffering through the same condition to not shut the world out. They'll inspire anyone who deviates from the expected norm. They'll inspire those who see beauty everywhere, not just in the "traditional" model or "perfect" body. 
   
   Some might claim all Townsend has done is post a photo of herself on her Facebook page — something we all do on a daily basis. But most of us don't have colostomies. Most of us hide away our flaws, because we're too scared to show our raw selves to the public eye. And that's what truly makes this woman different, and a genuine emblem of body positivity and self love. ||||| Bethany Townsend is already a role model, and soon she will be a successful model too. The Daily Mail reported on the aspiring model from Worcester, England, after a photo of her posing with her colostomy bags in a bikini went viral. 
   
   Bethany suffers from Crohn’s disease. She was diagnosed with the condition at the age of three and had two colostomy bags fitted in 2010, after her bowel ruptured. Initially, she felt insecure about the devices, but on holiday in Mexico with her husband, she decided to proudly show them off and wear a bikini. 
   
   Six months after her trip, she contacted Crohn’s and Colitis UK to see if they would be interested in featuring her story. After Bethany’s story was posted on their Facebook page, it went viral. It received almost ten MILLION likes (and counting). 
   
   Bethany, who is currently a makeup artist, says that the positive feedback gave her the encouragement to pursue a modelling career again. She had originally considered the career path, but stopped after she was initially fitted with the colostomy bags. 
   
   Despite only recently returning to modelling, Bethany has already booked a job. She posted on her Instagram account that she had been asked to model for a lingerie label that designs for people with colostomy bags: 
   
   “So excited to be asked to be a model for Vanilla Blush. An amazing lingerie company that specialises in “sexy” underwear for people with colostomy bags etc.” 
   
   It’s no surprise that Bethany’s career is taking off. Not only does she have the gorgeous features and beautiful tattoos that make her a good “traditional” model, but she also has an interesting story with an important message to get across. 
   
   It’s too bad that true models like Bethany don’t pose on magazine covers and billboards more often. We should stop with the photoshopped versions of supposed ideal beauties and start embracing a wider definition of beauty. With the impact Bethany’s had so far, she might be the right woman to kick-start the change. Paging Vogue! 
   
   To read more on Bethany’s story check out The Daily Mail and Crohn’s and Colitis UK. 
   
   (Photo: bethyt_/Instagram)
target: – Bethany Townsend thought her modeling days were done for good three years ago when she got fitted with two colostomy bags, a result of her lifelong fight with Crohn's disease. But after a hiatus as a makeup artist, that modeling career might just be getting started, thanks to a viral photo of herself posing in a bikini with those colostomy bags in full view, reports People. The 23-year-old shared the photo with Crohn's and Colitis UK Facebook page after deciding that "my colostomy bags shouldn't control my life," she explains in the post. Townsend tells the Huffington Post that she has been floored by the global reaction and hopes she can inspire others in similar positions to "feel a little bit more comfortable in their own skin." She's going to do that and more, writes Marie Southard Ospina at Bustle. "In a world so focused on aesthetics, where differences and 'flaws' are rejected rather than embraced, Townsend is the type of person really making a change." Her decision to share the photo "isn't just brave; it's beautiful." Agreed, writes Heather Cichowski at the Gloss. She's "already a role model, and soon she will be a successful model too."