Knottingley singer turns stoma journey into powerful song of hope
A Knottingley singer-songwriter who feared she may not survive a medical emergency has turned her journey of living with a stoma into a powerful song of hope.
Amy Rowbottom has released Bag for Life, a deeply personal track inspired by her own experience of living with a stoma.
The song tells Amy’s story of resilience and survival after she underwent life-changing surgery in 2021 following the discovery of cancerous cells.
She has lived with a stoma for four years and has faced a series of operations and setbacks during that time.
Amy, who started writing songs when she was around 10 years old, said she wanted to use music to share her experience and encourage others facing their own challenges.
She said: "I really wanted to write a song and get my story out to people, and for people to know that even if you have health problems, you don't have to stop your dreams.
"You can still go for whatever you want to do."
Her journey has included frightening moments, with Amy facing emergency surgery in December last year after complications with her stoma.
She said: "It's been a little bit scary. I've had a lot of close calls that have led to more operations.
"In December I was rushed in for an emergency operation. I thought I was going to die. The doctors thought I was going to die, and I have young kids at home, so it was terrifying.
"I was in hospital for two weeks, but I've come out the other side and wrote a song about it on my album Sliding Doors.
"It's a personal song and I've experienced it. I get quite choked up even though I've written it.
"It's spreading a message of hope that whatever life throws at you, think, 'No, this isn't going to stop me from living my life’, having dreams and following them.'"
The track is aimed at helping break down misconceptions around stomas and showing people that living with a hidden disability does not mean their ambitions have to change.
Amy said the support of her family has helped her through the most difficult moments.
Her husband Chris and their four children, aged six, nine, 10 and 13, have seen the challenges she has faced throughout her health journey.
She said: "My children and my husband, I absolutely love them to death.
"They have seen everything I've gone through and I just hope that they see me as a role model.
"Whatever they have to go through, they can remember their mum with health problems fought it all the way and didn't stop them.
"My mum and my grandma have been really supportive.
"It's just been one thing after another with me. I've been through so much over the past couple of years, but music has helped heal my soul.
"Music is a universal language and helps build communities and bring people together."
The song was produced by Paul Twohig at Pro2 Recording Studios in Castleford.