There ought to be a law: Ally Bain fights
for people with Crohn's
They may not know her by name, but sixteen-year-old Ally Bain is a
hero to many people with Crohn's. She's proven that one voice really can
make a difference—that is, if you're brave enough to share a story
that most people would choose to forget.
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In 2004, Ally and her mother, Lisa, were out shopping at a retail store. Ally soon
had a desperate need to use a restroom. Lisa asked the store manager if Ally could
use the employee restroom, but Ally's mother's request was refused and Ally soiled
herself in the store. Angered, Lisa promised her daughter that something would
be done so that neither Ally nor anyone else with a medical condition would have
to experience the humiliation and isolation Ally felt that day.
A few months later, Lisa and Ally met with Illinois State Rep. Kathleen Ryg. Lisa and
Ally shared their story and asked Rep. Ryg for help. The wheels were immediately put in
motion to form a law that required businesses to make employee-only restrooms available
to people with inflammatory bowel disease and other medical conditions (such as pregnancy
and incontinence). The Restroom Access Act – also known as Ally's Law - was signed by the
Governor of Illinois and took effect in September, 2005. Way to go, Lisa and Ally!
