90: The Hirschsprung’s Hour with Tom Richard - Episode 90

90: The Hirschsprung’s Hour with Tom Richard - Episode 90

What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This conversation centres on a different kind of lifelong condition, yet anyone dealing with health struggles or addiction will recognise the sheer grit on display. Host Tom talks with Natalie about her daughter Esme’s short but intense history with Hirschsprung’s disease. Esme was born two months early, had a stoma at five days old, and was diagnosed at three weeks after biopsies were sent to London.

Since then, it’s been a blur of long hospital stays, suspected sepsis, bugs, and major surgery, including an 11‑hour pull‑through procedure and stoma closure. Despite that, Esme is described as "such a happy little girl" who greets nurses with high‑fives and knows her own body astonishingly well. She self-hydrates, chooses bland foods when unwell, and even started using the potty at around eight months.

As Natalie puts it, "She understands herself more than I do, and I've done so much research on it now." You’ll hear about the practical realities too: bowel washouts, dilation treatments, endless nappy changes during flare‑ups, and the emotional punch of learning that medical support will be needed throughout Esme’s life. Natalie openly admits she first hoped three surgeries would mean "we’re done", then describes the slow process of accepting ongoing care.

Touching moments include Esme comforting her mum when she’s ill, fundraising nearly £4,000 for Ronald McDonald House, and the crucial support of a surgeon who is "easier to get hold of than my GP" and who coordinates care even when the family are abroad. If you’re living with a chronic condition in the family, or supporting someone through any long-term struggle, this story of resilience, humour and honest fear might make you feel a bit less alone.

How do you find your own ways to keep going when life keeps throwing curveballs?