A glamorous Playboy model bravely opened up about the “unbearable pain” she suffers because of her hidden illness.
Stephanie Heaney lives with severe gastric issues and uses her platform to raise awareness about colitis and Crohn’s disease – a life-long condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
The mum-of-two has endured the condition for years and said it became unmanageable when her sister, Lyndsey, tragically died in 2019.
And the model, famed for appearing on billboards and in magazines, has had a difficult start to 2025. Her symptoms have included worrying weight loss and extreme fatigue resulting in her feeling weak.
Giving an insight into what she goes through daily, she said: “My gastric issues have progressively got worse over ten years – the last six being the worst and when my sister died it became unbearable. The severe trauma was hard on my body. I felt truly helpless going through weeks of fainting, no energy and even my eyesight was badly affected.
“I’ve spent weeks and weeks in hospital last year and at the start of this year too and with the help of family and friends I’m getting through it. I’ve been losing significant amounts of weight so that’s something we are working on getting under control.”
Weight loss is one of the main symptoms of Crohn’s disease, with the NHS listing other warning signs like:
- diarrhoea
- stomach aches and cramps
- blood in your poo
- tiredness (fatigue)
Stephanie, who once dated Rangers icon Nacho Novo, is candid about her struggles, acknowledging that her mental health takes a hit, but she still answers questions and messages from fans going through similar battles.
The model, who was signed to Playboy aged 38, believes it is important to show that social media is not real life and that you never know what others are enduring in their personal lives.
“I feel that everyone is so harsh and quick to judge others online and in everyday life not knowing what they may be going through,” she said. “Hidden illnesses are at times worse to deal with, someone may not look unwell but they are really struggling, just like mental health illnesses. Social media is just a platform to show your best bits and what you want people to see – it is not a real reflection of someone’s life.”
Stephanie encourages other people with gastric diseases to lean on friends and family for support – and said sometimes the best help comes from strangers going through something similar.
This is the opposite of what the mum once did herself which was to hide her health issues and make jokes and play it down, all because she was “embarrassed”.
She revealed: “I’ve been sick and ill in restaurants with family and friends and even been extremely sick several times on flights which is extremely unpleasant and upsetting. If I go out I have to do something – I won’t eat for two or three days before; it is awful.”
Stephanie believes many people with gastric issues “suffer in silence” and she spoke about how she travels all over Glasgow and to Inverclyde to her appointments. She has been open about being in tears most days and how if she eats something not suitable to her restricted diet her condition flares up resulting in “unbearable and debilitating pain”.
And concluding, she told us: “There are people worse off than I am and I can only feel extremely sorry for them. Life is hard enough and I would love there to be more support groups and help for people suffering with gastric diseases.”