Louise Thompson is overcome with emotion as she receives tear-jerking letter from an eight-year-old girl who also has a stoma bag

Louise Thompson was overcome with emotion as she received a tear-jerking letter from an eight-year-old girl who also has a stoma bag.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 34, revealed in April 2024 that she had been fitted with a stoma after years of battling with ulcerative colitis.

Since her diagnosis, Louise has continued to spread awareness and proudly show off her stoma, which she named Winnie, that ultimately sparked the adorable letter from the young girl.

The little girl wrote: ‘Dear Louise, my name is Amelia. I got my ileostomy when I was four years old and I see when my mummy is on Instagram I see your post’s and I love how you show how much things you can do with a ileostomy. I know you called yours Winnie The Pooh I called mine Aubrey the strawberry, from Amelia [sic].

A colostomy is where part of your large bowel (colon) is brought out through an opening made in your tummy. The opening is called a stoma. 

Louise captioned her post: ‘A little different from my standard Sunday evening post, but I am very excited because… I have a new pen pal ! Amelia and Aubrey the Strawberry (her Winnie) !

Louise Thompson, 34, was overcome with emotion as she received a tear-jerking letter from an eight-year-old girl who also has a stoma bag (pictured this month on her podcast)

Since her diagnosis, Louise has continued to spread awareness and proudly show off her stoma, which she named Winnie, that ultimately sparked the adorable letter from the young girl

Louise captioned her post: ‘A little different from my standard Sunday evening post, but I am very excited because… I have a new pen pal ! Amelia and Aubrey the Strawberry (her Winnie) !’

‘What a brave young girl. I am SO in awe of her strength and also very grateful to be in a position where I get to receive such impressive and beautifully handwritten letters, like this one from Amelia. 

‘I wish I had this much confidence in my locker at the age of 8, but that’s overcoming health hardship for you. One of the silver linings. She is already armed with so much resilience and I can’t wait to see what she goes on to do.

‘I have to say there is no better feeling in the world than receiving a letter. That deserves a full stop, but to receive one like this on a Friday afternoon when driving out to Oxfordshire with my family in the car put such a spring in my step (or in my seat) – this is exactly the sort of thing that keeps me going. 

‘If I’m honest with you guys, I cried in the car whilst composing my email back. I felt full of passion as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t feel the need to explain myself to Ryan or Leo because I knew I was crying with pride. 

‘For me and for her. It always feels good to take the time to do something good.

‘I’m sharing this (with permission from her parents of course) because I think that people facing the reality of stoma surgery need to know that it’s not the end of the road for you.

‘If we can do it, you can too. 200,000+ and counting. I also don’t want kids at school being bullied for these sorts of differences. I remember once a colleague of mine on Made In Chelsea made a joke about signing someone’s stoma bag at a PA. 

‘She said it was gross. It was a LONG time ago and it was juvenile. Not my humour at all, never has been, but that’s just how some people are. 

The former Made In Chelsea star revealed in April 2024 that she had been fitted with a stoma after years of battling with ulcerative colitis

A colostomy is where part of your large bowel (colon) is brought out through an opening made in your tummy. The opening is called a stoma 

‘Kids can be mean and I’m keen to buck that trend. You never know what might happen to you or a loved one, so it pays to be nice. Education could help.

‘Do you know what’s funny about this story? It turns out that Amelia is actually the granddaughter of the proofreader reading the new chapter from my paperback. 

‘Real talk. I asked her not to judge my grammar skills in the email I sent back to an 8 YO.’

She added: ‘People often ask why I called my book lucky… quite often I feel like the luckiest person in the world.’ 

Louise published her book Lucky which details her health battles over the past three years.

She shared the news of having a stoma bag fitted with her Instagram followers last year, as she bravely admitted it is ‘not something she wanted to hide forever’.

The television personality has previously spoken about her ongoing struggles with the bowel condition ulcerative colitis as well as the autoimmune disease lupus.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed and small ulcers develop on the colon’s lining, which can bleed. The condition has no cure, but can be effectively managed with time.

Earlier last year she spent two weeks in hospital after suffering a ulcerative colitis flare up during a holiday with Ryan and Leo 

Louise nearly died when giving birth to their son, Leo, two, after undergoing an emergency C-section

Earlier last year she spent two weeks in hospital after suffering a ulcerative colitis flare up during a holiday with Ryan and Leo.

Louise nearly died when giving birth to their son, Leo, two, after undergoing an emergency C-section.

The procedure led to serious complications, including hemorrhages, and she was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Since then, Louise has undergone multiple surgeries, including a partial colon removal and the fitting of a stoma bag. 

What is a stoma?  

A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of urine and faeces.

According to the NHS, this procedure may be needed if you cannot pass stools through your anus, which could be the result of an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system. 

In the UK, it is estimated that one in 335 people have had the surgery. 

The procedure can be part treatment for a number of illnesses, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease or any trauma to the abdomen.

The stoma will generally be ‘pink and most – like the inside of our mouths’. After the surgery, it will be swollen, but this will reduce in six to eight weeks.

There is no sensation to touching a stoma – as there are no nerves – but different people will have theirs in a different size or shape. 

It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which could later be reversed, if the diseased or damaged area in the bowel needs to heal over time. 

A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of urine and faeces. Stock image used

TYPES OF STOMA

COLOSTOMY

This refers to an opening in the colon – the large intestine. During the operation, a part of the colon will be brought from inside the body through their abdomen. The output from this ‘often resembles a traditional stool’ and functions around one to three times a day.

ILEOSTOMY

For this procedure, the surgeon will bring a part of the small intestine – the ileum specifically – from inside the patient’s body and bring it through the abdomen, stitching it down to secure it. The output for an ileostomy is looser than that of a colostomy. An ileostomy bag – which enables drainage into the toilet between three to six times a day’ – is also worn.

UROSTOMY

A urostomy refers to an opening for a person’s urine specifically. For this, the surgeon will take a piece of someone’s small intestine and attach it to the ureters. This will ‘form a passageway for urine to pass through’. For this, one of the tube is brought out through the abdomen. A urostomy bag will also have a ‘bung or tap on the bottom to allow urine to be drained at regular intervals into the toilet’.

Source: Colostomy UK, NHS