In October, we celebrate Ostomy Awareness Day – October 3, 2026 – Written by Tess Tyler
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Nearly 13.5 million people worldwide live with an ostomy. That’s no small number. Still, ostomies
remain something many people rarely see or talk about.
An ostomy may be temporary or permanent. For some children born with anorectal
malformations, Hirschsprung disease, or other congenital colorectal conditions, it may be part of
their life from the very beginning.
An ostomy is simply another way for the body to do what it needs to do when it needs a different
path.
It may come with surgeries, scars, appliances, challenges, and a learning curve. But it can also
mean something incredibly precious:
the chance to keep living.
For a child, it can mean growing, playing, learning, making friends, and simply being a kid.
For a parent, it can mean bringing their baby home, watching them grow, and celebrating the
beautiful, ordinary moments that make childhood so special.
For an adult, it can mean healing, adapting, and beginning again.
There will be difficult days. There will be messy days. But there can also be joy, freedom,
confidence, and a life that is full and meaningful.
This month, we hope to replace stigma with understanding and make ostomies a little less
unfamiliar.
A stoma isn’t something to be ashamed of.
A pouch doesn’t make someone less.
And an ostomy does not define the person wearing it.
An ostomy doesn’t diminish a life. It can make life possible.
And that is nothing to hide.
Different is not less.
And there is nothing shameful about the things that help us live.
