WORKING with bowel patients was a real eye-opener for research scientist Christel McMullan.

So much so that when she and her family from Redditch decided to climb Snowdon, she was keen to raise money for a cause that would help them.

That’s why Christel, 44, along with husband Ken, 47, and sons Matthieu, 19, and Luc, 13, will be fundraising for Bowel & Cancer Research when they head for the summit of the Welsh mountain on July 27.

For five years, Christel has worked on research projects in the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham involving patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) for which there is no cure.

“I have seen hundreds of patients who have told me about the huge impact these diseases have on their lives," she said.

"Some have extreme stomach cramps and have to go to the loo 25 times per day, sometimes they have to wear pads, they often have accidents in public which are so embarrassing.

“These are terrible illnesses which you wouldn’t wish on your own worst enemy.”

The decision to climb Snowdon came about because Christel and Ken, who now live in Redditch, have driven past the mountain many times in the past but never seen the summit through the Welsh mist.

“We decided we wanted to see what it looks like at the top so we fixed a date,” she said.

“We’ve been doing the Redditch Parkrun to get fit. We won’t be racing up and down – we’ll leave first thing, get back before dark and take whatever weather we get.”

She added: “Bowel & Cancer Research is funding our research team to do a review of peer support for IBD patients, so for me this will be giving a little something back.”

Chief executive of Bowel & Cancer Research Deborah Gilbert thanked the McMullan family for their support.

“Bowel diseases are a terrible affliction affecting millions of people and we are proud to fund the best science dedicated to finding a cure," she said.

"We can only do that with the help of our fantastic fundraisers.”

Anyone who wants to support the McMullan family can go to bowelcancerresearch.org/fundraisers/the-mcmullans-snowdon-hike