Fashion Show / Fancy Dress Party

Inside Our Stoma Support Group is putting on a fashion show with a difference or we would like to think so! As it’s close to Halloween, we thought Fancy Dress (Optional).  Our hope is to empower ostomists with a way forward to improve their lifestyle.

We will have the latest autumn fashion from Tesco’s & Marks & Spencer’s and lingerie from Vanilla Blush.

Our challenge is to enlighten ostomists in a way that gives them the confidence to rebuild their own lives by presenting some of the specialised clothing that can be worn underneath, combined with the clothes you buy from the shops on the high street.

At the same time we would like to take the opportunity to raise funds for a project at St Mark’s Hospital, the “Intestinal Failure Unit.”  We would like to raise the sum of £8,877 (eight thousand eight hundred and seventy seven pounds) needed for the “investigation into the treatment of Incisional Hernias.”

Incisional hernias affect 15% of patients following major abdominal procedures. They refer to lumps or protrusions surrounding, or on the point of surgical entry. They are debilitating and can compromise bowel activity and health. The Intestinal Failure Unit at St Mark’s, like many of the hospital’s clinical services, is a leader in its field. It is one of only two tertiary referral units in the UK providing specialist care that local hospital trusts can not supply adequately.

Intestinal failure patients have a compromised ability to absorb essential nutrients. Many patients in this department are left with Incisional hernias post surgery that are not only particularly debilitating but we do not, as yet, know how best to treat them. Ideally, hernias should be repaired with mesh. However, mesh has its own associated complications and the risks of these are even greater in patients with intestinal failure.

This research will help us to understand which meshes are more suitable for use in different situations and enable us to manage this problem in a more effective manner.

The event is being held at Harrow School, Shepherd Churchill Room, Harrow on the Hill HA1 3HP, on Friday 29^th of October.

Commencing at 19:00 hrs, Fish & Chip supper – Fashion show – Prize for the best Fancy Dress Costume (Optional) - Silent Auction – Light Entertainment and bar – finishes at 23:00 hrs.

Location