Jessica Kairouz is a 20-year-old student living in London.

She was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of seven, Jessica was constantly pale, underweight and would have extremely high temperature all the time.

No one knew what was wrong with her. 

Whilst interviewing Jessica, she jokes: "My doctor thought I was just making up excuses so that I would miss school!"

She was diagnosed at the age of eight with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It has no cure. 

Treatment was too expensive in Lebanon and Jessica's family were unable to provide her with the appropriate facilities.

Jessica's Crohn's is hereditary. Two of her maternal aunts have it.

In 2006, she moved with her family to the UK due to her illness and the war (also known as the July war) that was taking place in her country at the time.

Upon her arrival, she had her first operation. Jessica had been receiving the wrong treatment all along in Lebanon and she was at a risk of developing bowel cancer.

She would go on to spend a month or two at any one time in hospital and was constantly in and out of school. 

​

​

After moving from Essex to Kingston, and starting university, where she studied interior design and architechture, Jessica became severely ill again and underwent three operations.