Harrison Kefford, a 30-year-old writer from Melbourne, has had to pivot his career due to the challenges posed by Crohn’s Disease, which affects about 180,000 Australians. Diagnosed in his mid-20s, Kefford faces mounting medical expenses, with research indicating that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incur average out-of-pocket costs of around $5,900 annually. Struggling to manage these costs on a writer’s income, he has retrained as a traffic controller in pursuit of a higher salary to support his ongoing treatment.
Kefford, part of the increasing number of Australians living with IBD, highlights the financial burdens of the disease. In 2025, the economic impact of IBD in Australia is estimated to reach $7.8 billion, with significant out-of-pocket expenses and lost wages due to missed work. The Crohn’s & Colitis Australia (CCA) aims to alleviate these costs by advocating for better access to multidisciplinary care and novel therapies.
Despite undergoing surgery in 2022 that improved his well-being, Kefford knows he will have to manage his condition financially for life. The CCA seeks to enhance early diagnosis, treatment access, and research investment, hoping to improve outcomes for individuals like Kefford without the ongoing financial strain.