While many people settle into the new year with quiet resolutions, I chose to take on something bolder. I have lived on artificial nutrition and been unable to eat food for over seven years. I know how hard it can be to feel alive in a world that revolves around meals, restaurants and traditions we can no longer join. But here is the truth: life does not end with a feeding line. It just begins in a different way.
2025 has already brought me three unforgettable challenges, and it is only May.
Challenge 1: Anfield abseil
I kicked off the year dangling from the top of Liverpool's stadium. As a lifelong football fan, this was more than a drop. It was a leap of faith in myself.
Challenge 2: Zip World, South Wales
Next I flew through the sky on one of the fastest ziplines in the UK. High above the ground, I was reminded that fear does not stand a chance when you are driven by purpose.
Challenge 3: a helicopter over Nottingham
The adrenaline, the view, the feeling of being free. It is hard to put into words how healing that can be when your everyday life is medical routines and constant reminders of what you cannot do.
Why I do this
I have been on artificial nutrition since 2018. It started with a J-tube and moved to a Hickman line as complications came. Like so many others on TPN, I live without food. That does not mean I stop living. Nature keeps me grounded. Adventure keeps me going. Community keeps me strong.
When we step outside our comfort zones, even just a little, we remember who we are outside the hospital walls and the medical labels. Let's rise, fly, and keep pushing boundaries, line and all.