Flying, meetings, backpacking, and getting lost in Brussels. This was my spontaneous journey as a university student attending EFCCA's 2024 annual general assembly conference in Belgium.

For those of you reading and don’t know me, Hi, I’m Nicole. I’m a proud ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand (CCNZ), as well as a 3rd year Nursing student down at Otago Polytechnic. I am 20 years old and from a small suburb in Wellington called Wainuiomata. My role as ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand is to raise awareness around this invisible illness through my “I Can’t Wait” campaign which permits those living with IBD access to staff facilities when no public toilets are available, fighting for PHARMAC to fund more treatment options for IBD, and to empower New Zealand youth living with IBD in effectively managing their condition.

Like any meeting, the CCNZ board discusses proposals, looks at future interventions and ways we can better the lives of our IBD community. One particular topic on our agenda was deliberating an assignee delegate to attend the EFCCA's annual general assembly conference over in Brussels, Belgium. Initially, my eyes had glazed over this topic on our agenda as for

1. I had no idea what the abbreviation ‘EFCCA’ even stood for, and

2. Was more concerned about finding a strong enough area of reception that wasn’t going to kick me off our meeting server within my damp and scroungy little Dunedin flat. 

After wavering my laptop in the air, securing a strong enough Wi-Fi connection, moving onwards from the glitching imagery on my screen, Belinda started to elaborate on what EFCCA was all about. EFCCA, the European Federation of Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis Associations, represents over 46 countries and their national Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis associations. The primary focus of this organisation is to look at developing new treatments and medications options those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and making the everyday lives of IBD sufferers more liveable through global changes within the legal system across different countries.

After listening to the proposed opportunity to attend EFCCA’s general assembly meeting, I wasted no time in jumping at this opportunity. I remember asking Belinda and Richard if this opportunity was even possible for a poor wee university student like me, and I wasn’t even entirely certain that I was even going to be able to attend due to the fact the dates were right in the middle of one of my month-long nursing placements and I had my midterm exams coming up. But they gave me the reassurance I needed in telling me that I am competent and capable enough to make this happen. So that’s exactly what we did.

After cramming what was 38 into 50-hour weeks on placement and using any spare time I had at the library studying, I was able to make a gap in my timetable to fly overseas. Soon enough, I was embarking on my first out of many plane flights over to Brussels. After three long plane flights, one too many complimentary alcoholic beverages, and a whole lot of laxatives later, I had finally arrived at my destination in Brussels, Belgium.

The next day the general assembly meeting commenced. I met so many inspiring, dedicated, driven and like-minded individuals who like me, were passionate about improving the lives of individuals with IBD (while it may have been slightly difficult understanding the accent of those from other countries trying to speak English). My knowledge around the future for IBD grew greatly and ignited a whole new level of admiration for those who dedicate their time and work to create change and improvements for this autoimmune disease. The evening concluded with a lovely dinner at an authentic Italian diner leaving us with a stomach full of pasta, bruschetta and a couple cheeky shots of limoncello.

Since my attendance at EFCCA’s annual general assembly meeting, I have become even more empowered to improve the quality of life of those living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. My next question was, “how do I achieve this?”. Months onwards after the meeting, I remained in touch with a few of the delegates. I opted to apply for a position on ‘Team Purple’, which is EFCCA's youth group organisation. It is with a proud heart that I am happy to say, that I have recently been announced as EFCCA's youth representative for all non-European counties. With this position, I can vocalise New Zealand’s current health position for our 20,000+ patients currently suffering from IBD in respect to our current available medications, treatments, laws and legislations. Here, I also hope to be able to collaboratively pave the way to building a stronger connection between New Zealand and other international IBD committees, ultimately aiming to achieve my original goal of improving the lives of those living with IBD. 

In reflection, my journey from a damp Dunedin flat to the vibrant streets of Brussels and beyond has been nothing short of transformative. Attending EFCCA’s annual general assembly meeting ignited a deeper passion within me to advocate for those living with IBD, both in New Zealand and globally. It reaffirmed the importance of creating connections, sharing knowledge, and working collaboratively to drive change.  As I step into my new role as EFCCA’s youth representative for non-European countries, my mission remains clear: to empower individuals with IBD to live fuller, healthier lives. As a long time sufferer of Crohn’s disease myself, this is not just my journey; it’s a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact - together.