A nurse who needed the toilet 30 times a day was diagnosed with an incurable disease after doctors suspected she had an eating disorder when her weight plummeted. Katie Harpur, 25, a nurse from Belfast, dropped to just five stone while battling the painful symptoms of Crohn’s disease, which left her unable to walk, and she could not eat without throwing up. Diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2014 at the age of 16, she was told it was inevitable that she would eventually need a stoma bag. Fitted with a temporary bag in 2019, Katie had the operation to make her stoma permanent in June 2022 and says it has changed her life. She said: “I used to need to go to the toilet up to 30 times a day and I couldn’t go out and socialise for fear of there not being facilities nearby. “It was incredibly limiting, and I was in a lot of pain to the point where I didn’t even want to go anywhere. “I’d always wanted to travel but it was impossible for me to do so until I got my stoma bag fitted. “Now I’ve booked my first long-haul flight to Tokyo, something I never would have been able to do before the op.” Katie first started experiencing pain and nausea at the age of 14 but said doctors found it difficult to diagnose her. I was in a lot of pain to the point where I didn’t even want to go anywhere Katie Harpur She said: “At first, they suspected that I was bulimic because my weight dropped. “I lost a dangerous amount of weight and weighed just five stone, but I didn’t have an eating disorder, it was just too painful for me to eat and if I did eat, I would vomit. “I remember one doctor told me I was a hypochondriac, but I knew something wasn’t right.” Persevering with medical appointments, Katie said her health deteriorated until she was admitted to hospital. Unable to walk, the then 16-year-old spent two weeks in hospital where she had a colonoscopy. Katie said: “I couldn’t physically walk anywhere, I was so weak, and I ended up in hospital. “The biopsies from the colonoscopy came back and confirmed that I had Crohn’s disease.” Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, blood in your poo, fatigue and weight loss. Growing up, I was so excited to travel but Crohn’s made it impossible. Katie Harpur Katie was put on medication but was told she would eventually need a stoma bag. In June 2019, Katie, then aged 21, underwent a procedure to have a temporary stoma bag fitted. She said: “Going into it, I obviously had body image concerns because I’m still quite young and people tend to have a false idea that stoma bags are dirty. “I knew I would end up with a giant scar too and that made me nervous.” Despite the stoma bag being the solution to Katie’s painful symptoms, she suffered complications which led to her having the procedure reversed. Battling infections and prolapse, her stoma was removed in January 2020. With her symptoms returning, Katie made the decision to have a permanent stoma bag fitted in June 2022. She said: “Because there were so many issues with the first one, I was really nervous, especially as this stoma couldn’t be reversed. “But my condition had gotten so bad and I was in so much pain, that this was really the only option for me at this point.” I hope people can see my experience and know that stoma bags aren’t scary Katie Harpur As Katie approaches 12 months since her stoma operation, she said the procedure has “changed her life”. With no complications or symptoms, she is now able to travel and socialise with friends. “I’ve had no issues at all with it and it’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “Growing up, I was so excited to travel but Crohn’s made it impossible. I always said I wouldn’t travel far until I had my stoma fitted.” Since her operation, Katie has booked a three-week trip to Tokyo for September this year, something she says she never would have been able to do before. She said: “Not being able to speak Japanese, I would have found it very hard to find a public toilet so wouldn’t have been able to do the trip before. “But now I’m planning to go to Mount Fuji and Super Nintendo World, which I’m really excited for.” Now she is raising awareness for Crohn’s disease on World IBD Day and hopes to break the stigma around stoma bags. “A lot of people think having a stoma bag is the end of the world,” she said. Now I’ve booked my first long-haul flight to Tokyo, something I never would have been able to do before the op. Katie Harpur “I was so young getting mine done and I was nervous about how my body would change but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, I wish I’d done it sooner. “I hope people can see my experience and know that stoma bags aren’t scary, mine has greatly improved my life and enabled me to start enjoying life again.” Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said: “There are more than 500,000 people living with Crohn’s and colitis in the UK. Every day we hear about more who are experiencing symptoms and waiting for a diagnosis. “Since the pandemic, the already lengthy waiting times for tests like endoscopies and colonoscopies have soared. “Such delays can be devastating for people, affecting their ability to work, study, socialise and live the lives they want to. “We really need to do more to help young people stay in control of their health, and that means providing them with the tools to get the right diagnosis from their GP as early as possible. My stoma bag has greatly improved my life and enabled me to start enjoying life again Katie Harpur “If you’re experiencing blood in your poo, tummy pain or frequent, urgent diarrhoea, then the symptom checker on our website is a good place to start. “It’s designed to give people the confidence to go to their GP with a letter detailing their symptoms, to help them get the right diagnosis and get back on the road to recovery.” For more information, visit: www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk. Read More How to check if you have skin cancer: Symptoms and signs to look out for Janey Godley shares heartbreaking cancer update New obesity jab that sparked diabetes row in US could get NHS green light Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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A gunman clad in black body armour and armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire at a Texas mall on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring seven others. The suspect was identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, a security guard and former US Army trainee. Dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the entrance of the Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling centre on the outskirts of Dallas, and immediately opening fire on passersby in the carpark. An Allen Police Department officer attending an unrelated call at the mall heard the gunfire and “neutralised” the suspect, police said. What we know about the suspect Mauricio Garcia, 33, was identified on Sunday as the gunman who killed eight innocent shoppers and mall staff members in Saturday’s horror attack. Garcia drove to the mall with several weapons and opened fire as soon as he stepped out of his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle and a handgun were reportedly found on him and in his car. Police have not released a possible motive, but investigators are looking into Garcia’s possible neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Garcia was wearing black body armour and a patch on his chest that suggested he may have harboured extremist ideologies, law enforcement sources told The Washington Post. The patch read RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death Squad, a popular phrase among far-right extremists. Police sources told NBC News that Garcia had posted and engaged with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online. His accounts appear to have since been taken down. Garcia also trained with the US Army but was terminated in June 2008, three months into his training without completing entry training, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman Heather J Hagan told The Independent. After that, he became a security guard, most recently working for an aluminum supply company. Through his work as a security guard, Garcia underwent firearms proficiency training as recently as 2018, according to the Texas Online Private Security database. The online records show that he began training in 2015 before becoming a commissioned security officer in April 2016. His licence expired in April 2020. During that time, he is listed as working for three security companies: Ruiz Protective Service, Statewide Patrol and Verified Response Security & Investigations. It is unclear why his security guard licence was suspended. It is unclear if he had any connection to the mall where he carried out Saturday’s rampage. Private security guards are vetted and are barred from gaining a license if they have convictions for crimes such as assault or sexual offenses, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record. At the time of the shooting, Garcia had reportedly been living in a motel. FBI agents raided a Dallas home where Garcia had been living with his parents for years, according to Fox News. Officers were stationed outside the address on Sunday. The suspect’s family requested a translator to speak with authorities. How the shooting unfolded The gunman arrived at the mall just after 3.30pm local time on Saturday. Video showed him exiting a grey sedan vehicle, dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style weapon before opening fire. Hundreds of shoppers could be seen trying to flee the scene on aerial footage after the gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style gun. Bodies of the victims, including several young children, were covered by sheets. Seven people — including the suspect — were killed at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said at a press conference on Saturday. Nine people were transported to hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries. Three survivors were undergoing surgery and remained in a critical condition on Saturday night, Mr Boyd said. Four others were in a stable condition. The injured included children as young as five, a Dallas area hospital told CNN. The victims As details continue to emerge about the gunman, the victims are starting to be identified. Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard at the mall, was identified by family members as one of the victims of Sunday’s massacre. LaCour’s grandmother posted a tribute to her grandson on social media. “He was such a beautiful soul,” she wrote. “I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him 2 weeks ago.” Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who moved to the US from India, was also killed in the attack. Thatikonda was shopping with a friend at the mall when she was shot and killed by the gunman, a family representative told WFAA. Her friend was also shot and injured in the shooting and is currently in stable condition in hospital. Thatikonda’s family is planning to fly her body to India where she has family. Texas’ dark weekend The mall shooting marked the start of a dark weekend for Texas. In Brownsville, eight people were killed when an SUV slammed into a crowd of people outside a migrant shelter in the border city on Sunday afternoon. Horrifying footage, taken from a security camera and shared by Texas Rep Henry Cuellar, shows a group of people waiting for a bus outside the city’s Ozanam Center. The SUV then rams into the victims. Seven people died before an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital later that day. At least nine others were hospitalised. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men who had spent the night at the shelter and were boarding a bus to return to downtown Brownsville. Officials initially said that the incident appeared to be intentional and described the driver – whose identity remains unknown – as “very uncooperative”. Also on Sunday, one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday – just a 30-minute drive from the mall massacre. Gunfire broke out on board a Green Line train near Hatcher Station when two people got into an argument on Sunday afternoon, accoding to authorities. DART police said that officers were called to reports of a shooting on the northbound train at around 4.30pm. Officers arrived on the scene to find two people – one of them a bystander – suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both transported to local hospitals where one of the victims was pronounced dead. The condition of the second victim – the bystander – is unknown. A third individual was also wounded in the shooting after being struck by shrapnel and was treated at the scene, police said. Now, DART police are searching for the suspected shooter, whose identity is unknown. 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Arsenal will play five Women’s Super League games at the Emirates Stadium next season and are committed to hosting all Champions League fixtures there should they qualify for the group stage. Jonas Eidevall’s side have played three WSL fixtures at the stadium this season, setting a new league attendance record when they beat neighbours Tottenham 4-0 before selling over 86,000 tickets across matches against Manchester United and Chelsea. Five of their Women’s Champions League games were also staged at the Emirates, including the semi-final second-leg sell-out against Wolfsburg, which saw the German side win in extra-time. Arsenal are in a tussle to qualify for next season’s Champions League but, if they do progress, every fixture from the group stage onwards will be hosted in N5 rather than at Meadow Park. The successes of this season have built on a groundswell of support for women’s football following on from England’s Women’s Euro victory last summer. Now, Arsenal are keen to continue the trend of hosting more games at the Emirates, with Eidevall saying recently he believes it would be possible to host all women’s fixtures there at some point in the future. This latest announcement ensures that as many supporters as possible can enjoy the matchday experience with us Vinai Venkatesham “We’re delighted to confirm that our women’s first team will play five WSL games at Emirates Stadium next season,” Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said when the announcement was made on Wednesday morning. “We’ve received fantastic support at Emirates Stadium this year, setting a new record attendance in the WSL and achieving a memorable sell-out for our recent UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg earlier this month. “This latest announcement ensures that as many supporters as possible can enjoy the matchday experience with us, as we continue to support the sustainable growth of women’s football.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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