A huge thank you to everyone who supported our 2025 seasonal appeal, The St Mark’s Difference! Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised an incredible £16,177 to support research, education, and innovation at St Mark’s Hospital.
Every single donation, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference for individuals with complex, and rare, bowel diseases.
One Year On: An Update on Mark’s Story
The ‘St Mark’s Difference’ was inspired by patient, Mark, and his daughter Caroline.
In 2022, Mark was diagnosed with Short Bowel Syndrome. For almost two and a half years, he survived only through an intravenous feeding system and was in and out of hospital. In a dark and uncertain time, his referral to the Intestinal Rehabilitation Unit (IRU) at St Mark’s was a turning point for Mark and his family.
This Christmas, we asked Caroline for an update.
“Christmas 2025 was the first time in years that we were able to spend Christmas Day together at home.
In the new year, Dad will continue to work on his health, and he remains in touch with St Mark’s for follow-up appointments. We are regularly looking at their socials to hear other life-changing stories and will continue to support their amazing foundation.
For fun, Dad is enjoying writing short children’s stories and is interested in learning Tai Chi. He is also loving cooking at home and spending time with my mum. I even visited my parents home the other day where he cooked for me and we ate together as a family—a real treat which we once didn’t think could be a reality.”
– Caroline
The St Mark’s Difference: Research Spotlight
In 2024, St Mark’s facilitated a significant step forward toward a future where Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) care can be personalised. Researchers developed a new method for detecting bowel cancer which is more than 90% accurate at predicting which high-risk IBD patients will develop the disease. This work could support the development of a blood test able to predict which IBD patients are most at risk of bowel cancer.
This breakthrough was the culmination of many years of collaborative working with Professor Trevor Graham from the Institute of Cancer Research. This research attracted national attention from several media outlets in 2025, including BBC News, Sky News and The Independent. The St Mark’s aspect of this research was funded by long-term Foundation supporter, 40tude Curing Colon Cancer.
Collaboration with other centres of excellence is essential to many St Mark’s projects. In the same way, our supporters are vital partners in our mission to create a future free from the fear of bowel disease. Together, we are inspiring change and improving the way patients with complex, and rare, bowel diseases are diagnosed, treated and receive ongoing care.
Your Support Makes a Difference
Our work supporting research, education and innovation at St Mark’s is only possible because of people like Caroline and her partner, Joe, who completed a half marathon and raised an incredible amount to support St Mark’s in gratitude to the team that saved her dad’s life.
Together we are making a difference, but we can and must do more. Bowel disease continues to affect more lives. Your generosity continues to help St Mark’s to:
- Invest in more research pushing the boundaries of what is possible for patients.
- Fund the costs of our research fellows, the future leaders in gastroenterology and colorectal surgery.
- Deliver an annual programme of education which is helping to improve standards of care.
By supporting St Mark’s, you help to transform countless lives and to gift more patients the hope of a future where bowel disease is preventable, treatable, and ultimately curable.