Luke takes inspiration from ‘StomaCop’
1 July 2021
A West Midlands traffic officer who forged ahead with a policing career despite a debilitating illness has inspired a new recruit with the same condition to join the Force – and last week the pair teamed up on patrol.
Mark Woodcock, affectionately known on Twitter as ‘StomaCop’, is one of around 146,000 people in the UK to suffer from colitis – a chronic condition that leaves the colon and rectum inflamed.
The 33-year-old underwent an ileostomy last year which saw his small intestine diverted through an opening or ‘stoma’ in his abdomen.
Mark was fitted with a military grade titanium plate to protect his stoma bag when he returned to work and now uses his blog to raise awareness of colitis, show how it did not put the brakes on his career and to encourage others who fear the condition will hold them back.
One of those he inspired was Luke Jemson who contacted StomaCop on Twitter more than a year ago.
The former military man reached out to Mark after he was discharged from the Army only days after his diagnosis with ulcerative colitis in 2013.
He was worried his condition might hold him back from future careers and sought advice from the traffic cop.
Mark was able to offer a few handy tips and encouragement and Luke was successfully sworn in as a police officer on 18 February.
Last week the pair met for the first time as Mark showed Luke the ropes on a traffic night shift.
Luke said: “It’s been a really crazy year. I was discharged from the Army just before I was meant to leave on my first deployment to Afghanistan. So it was really hard knowing that this diagnosis stopped me from doing what I had always wanted to do, which is why the support and encouragement from Mark to join the police has been amazing.
“In a strange turn of events, during my training I was a victim of burglary, and unbeknown to me at the time, the officer that came out to take my statement happened to be Mark’s wife.
“I was telling the officer about my condition, and this inspirational officer I followed on Twitter - it wasn’t until later the penny dropped!
“So it was great to actually meet Mark last week and go out on patrol with him.”
Mark said: “One of the reasons I set up this account was to normalise the condition and show it shouldn’t stop people from doing what they love, especially in a role like mine.
“I was so lucky to have such supportive management and team around me, especially when I was having my stoma fitted. It’s great that now I can pay this forward and support Luke in any way he needs since he has joined the Force.
“It was great to finally meet him and be able to show him a different aspect of policing - hopefully he will join us on traffic one day.”
West Midlands Police Federation chair Jon Nott said: “This is a truly inspirational story. Both these officers have proved that living with a condition such as this does not mean hopes, dreams and ambitions have to be put on ice.
“We wish them all the very best in the future.”
Follow Mark’s journey on Twitter - @stomacopWMP
