My name is Kate Shannon. I am getting my masters in Disability Services in Higher Education while working as a special education teaching assistant. I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2018. I have had two ostomies and currently have a J-Pouch.
I learned about Girls With Guts while surfing the internet after my emergency colectomy surgery in 2019. I spent so long searching for a traditional in-person support group. Most were either too far away or did not have people my age. As soon as I read about Girls with Guts, I had a positive feeling. I knew I could learn from and relate to these other awesome, empowered women.
After following Girls with Guts for a few months, I decided I wanted to get more directly involved. Having always loved writing, I was naturally drawn to the blog. I started volunteering as a blogger and was hooked. Volunteering for GWG connected me with so many amazing, kind, talented and dedicated women. I have formed valuable friendships with many of these women. Within a few months of volunteering, I began looking for more roles to help with. This organization has truly become a passion for me.
School and work take up a lot of my time outside of Girls with Guts. I love reading novels, learning new things (especially about history and disability studies), chatting with my friends (especially my GWG friends), advocating for the disability/ chronic illness community and sleeping. While I do not have any pets right now, I am a huge animal lover and a big fan of pugs!
