I contacted him when I was writing Gutsy Travels, as I wanted to dedicate the book to him as well as my family. Dedication: A special mention also to Professor Derek Jewell, who looked after me so well when I was a patient at John Radcliffe Hospital and dedicated his life to looking after his patients and researching Crohn’s and colitis. There is also a reference to him on Page 8 of the book from some email correspondence we had. “ I recently contacted the physician, Professor Derek Jewell, who had cared for me so well all those years ago…….He remembered me and replied, saying how pleased he was for me that “Crohn’s disease and all its misery has clearly been kicked into touch.”
I arranged to meet him in Oxford in July 2025, so that I could personally give him a hand signed copy of the book. We met at Green Templeton College and then had coffee at Browns, a well-known watering hole in Oxford for many years. We spent some time talking about Crohn’s but also our work and families. He is such a delightful man. He read my book in a week and emailed me. This is what he said:
Hi Jo, I really much enjoyed Gutsy Travels. So well written and you are truly remarkable. Such a shame that cholestyramine was not introduced years ago. felt very humbled by the adventures you undertook. Best wishes. Derek.
Professor Derek Jewell
Professor Derek Jewell is an Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College and Professor Emeritus of Gastroenterology, University of Oxford.
He is past president of the British Society of Gastroenterologyand founding member of the International Organization for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. His research interests centred predominately on clinical, genetic and immunological aspects of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease.
