Meet the brave Lindfield teenager who penned a Christmas song from her hospital bed to raise awareness of Crohn's Disease

Amelia Grace penned a festive song from her hospital bed

Amelia Grace, 18, from Lindfield, set herself a goal of recording the song A Cliche Christmas when she was feeling better, and it is now available to watch on YouTube.

Amelia said: “I have had such an amazing response, it is so great.

Amelia Grace spent three weeks in hospital in the summer

“As an 18-year-old you expect to do 18-year-old things and it can be quite hard seeing my friends doing all of these things, but this has really helped me mentally.

“I have always been into music and I would love to continue to write songs and raise awareness of this invisible illness.”

Amelia was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2016 during her GCSEs. She was hospitalised for three weeks last summer after a severe flare which caused her to lose a shocking 10kg in a very short period of time. She needed blood transfusions, infusions and was facing potential surgery.

She has been on a special liquid diet since July, but has battled on and refused to give up.

Amelia Grace was determined to record her track when she was feeling better

Amelia wrote the song during her stay in hospital, and set herself a goal of recording it in time for Crohn’s and Colitis UK Charity Awareness week in December.

Her dream came true, when she recorded the track at the Curtis Schwartz Studios in Ardingly.

Amelia said: “Music has really helped my healing and focus for the future.

And of her Christmas song, she added: “People seem to really like it and love that this Christmas song is going towards Crohn’s and Colitis UK. Someone came up to me saying I didn’t even know anything about Crohn’s until they heard my song.”

Crohn’s and Colitis UK said: “Every 30 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis – the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

“At least 300,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with IBD which are chronic conditions that can cause ulceration and inflammation in the colon (Ulcerative Colitis) or any part of the digestive system (Crohn’s Disease).

“Symptoms can include diarrhoea (often with blood), severe pain, extreme fatigue, and dramatic weight loss. At present there is no cure for Crohn’s and Colitis, but drugs and sometimes surgery can give long periods of relief from symptoms This means 1 in 210 people are living with these unpredictable, life-long and potentially life-threatening conditions.”

Crohn’s and Colitis UK is a national charity leading the battle against Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

“We’re fighting to achieve a better quality of life now for the 300,000 people in the UK suffering physically and emotionally due to these and other forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Ultimately, we want to find a cure.

“For more than 35 years, we’ve been working with and for patients and their families, the doctors that treat them and the policymakers who can bring about change.

“We provide high quality information and personal care, support life-changing research and campaign vigorously – for more knowledge, better services and more support for people affected by IBD and our 28,000 members.

To find out more visit www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk.

To hear Amelia’s song visit YouTube and search for A Cliche Christmas – Amelia Grace.