A woman with a stoma bag was left shaken after being ‘assaulted and abused’ for using a disabled toilet at an Adele concert.
Jessica Storey, 28, who has Crohn’s disease, found herself becoming tearful after the incident in Munich, Germany, earlier this summer.
After singing along with the Easy On Me hitmaker for two hours, Jessica made her way to the disabled toilet, which she says provides more space to empty her stoma bag .
Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition that causes parts of the digestive system to become inflamed.
A stoma is a small opening in the abdomen that is used to remove bodily waste into a small pouch attached to the body, which is known as a stoma or ostomy bag.
Jessica Storey, 28, (left) says she was ‘assaulted and abused’ for using a disabled toilet at an Adele concert in Munich, Germany in August. Pictured: Jessica, accompanied by her mother
The Easy On Me hitmaker pictured on stage in Munich, Germany in August
Jessica was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a lifelong condition that causes parts of the digestive system to become inflamed, in 2020
Jessica Storey says she was left tearful after she confronted by a man in a wheelchair at the concert who expressed his anger at what he thought was her apparent lack of a disability. Pictured: The 28-year-old undergoing hospital treatment for her condition
Jessica says she tends to only use a disabled toilet when needing to empty it.
But just a few minutes after locking the door, Jessica was interrupted by persistent knocking and banging on the door.
When she finally opened the door, she was greeted by an angry woman who Jessica claims dug her nails into her arms and ‘dragged’ her out of the toilet.
She was also confronted by a man in a wheelchair who expressed his anger at what he thought was Jessica’s apparent lack of a disability.
After revealing she had a stoma bag, Jessica said the man’s face ‘dropped’ and he was ‘very apologetic’, even revealing he used to have a stoma himself.
Jessica, who says the incident tainted an otherwise enjoyable day, is keen to raise greater awareness of hidden and invisible disabilities.
The private healthcare company worker, from Brampton, Cumbria, said: ‘As soon as it happened I burst into tears to my mum – you just don’t expect it.
‘I wanted to do something about it. No one should be made to feel the way I did.
‘Just because it’s not visual, it doesn’t mean I’m not disabled.
‘Hidden or invisible disabilities do exist.
‘Using disabled toilets I will get funny looks and you do feel judged.
‘You kind of want to walk around with a sign above your head saying, “I am disabled.”‘
Jessica said she had used the disabled toilet prior to the concert on 31 August and had no issues.
She added: ‘I will always use a disabled toilet if I’m emptying or changing the bag as you need the extra space – changing in a cubicle is near on impossible.
‘I’d used the disabled toilet prior to the concert.
‘[I] saw Adele, she was incredible and as we were leaving I went to the same disabled toilet to empty the bag.
Jessica says she is determined to educate others that ‘hidden or invisible disabilities do exist’
Jessica underwent a procedure to create a small opening in her abdomen where bodily waste empties into a small pouch attached to the body, known as a stoma or ostomy bag
‘I always think up a spiel of what I’m going to say to someone if I get asked as it’s not a visual disability.
‘I came out and it went crazy – there was a man in a wheelchair who was a double amputee, who shouted at me.
‘Then another woman dug her nail into my arm and dragged me out the toilet shouting at me.
‘I responded to the amputee and said I had a stoma and his face just dropped and he said he used to have one – that annoyed me as he knows how horrible it can be.
‘He couldn’t apologise enough.
‘It really tainted the day for me.’
Jessica has only had her stoma bag for just over a year after being diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2020.
She will need to undergo another operation to remove more of her intestine to limit the disease.
She said: ‘I tried and tested lots of medication, but nothing seemed to work.
‘In September 2023, they decided I needed a large portion of my bowel removed and that left me with the stoma.
‘It’s been a rollercoaster of a year.
‘Having to agree to such a living changing op it comes with a lot of struggles – you think about body image and your age.
After revealing she had a stoma bag, Jessica said the man who confronted her was ‘very apologetic’, even revealing he used to have a stoma himself
‘It’s been hard but it gives you your life back.
‘The clothes I used to wear before having a bag I can’t really wear as much anymore as they’re too tight.
‘It’s just a complete lifestyle change.’
Jessica’s message to others is simply ‘don’t judge.’
She added: ‘I don’t judge others.
‘No matter what you look like, it doesn’t mean you don’t have things going on behind the scenes.’
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