013 - Crohn's, Coming Out, Confidence & Croissants - Daniel Duckett

In this episode of The Survival Project, I’m joined by Daniel Duckett. Daniel lives with an ostomy, is an award-winning pastry chef based in Belfast, and is an openly gay man who has rebuilt a full, confident, and creative life after years of chronic illness and complex surgery.Daniel’s journey begins in his teens with ulcerative colitis, evolving diagnoses, repeated hospitalisations, failed treatments, and life-altering surgeries. Over decades, his health shaped not only his body, but his identity, relationships, and sense of self. In this conversation, Daniel speaks with honesty, humour, and clarity about what it really means to live in a changed body and learn to embrace it.We explore body image, dating, intimacy, and confidence within the gay community, including navigating sex, relationships, and self-worth with an ostomy. Daniel shares practical insights on disclosure, communication, and learning to separate internal fear from external reality. His message is clear: confidence grows with time, honesty, and self-acceptance.Beyond health and identity, Daniel also shares how his ostomy gave him the physical stability to pursue his dream career in pastry. From working long hours on his feet to training chefs and opening his own patisserie, he reflects on resilience, legacy, and how loss shaped his purpose. His story is deeply connected to his late mother, whose strength and support live on through the life he has built.This is a powerful episode about survival, sexuality, creativity, grief, and choosing to live fully in the body you have. It’s a reminder that healing isn’t about returning to who you were, but becoming who you are.A sincere thank you to Salts Healthcare for supporting today’s episode and helping important conversations like this reach those who need them most.If you would like to check out Ostique Connect you can download at the links belowhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ostiqueltd.ostiqueconnect&hl=en_IEhttps://apps.apple.com/us/app/ostique-connect/id6463715231