'I was barred from Greggs disabled toilet until I proved my rare medical condition'

A woman with a rare condition claimed she was denied access to a toilet at until she showed proof of her illness. Evan Francis, 29, was allegedly stopped from using the loo by an employee - who alleged said she was "not disabled" - until she showed her catheter bag.

The freelance communications professional said her life has been put "on hold" after she was with - a condition that makes passing urine difficult and leads to urinary retention - in July 2024. Before her diagnosis, Evan revealed she faced her ordeal at Greggs on the same week she was catheterised for the first time.

Evan, from Minster-on-Sea in , claimed she was denied access to the accessible toilet at the in April 2024. The communications professional said: "I asked to use the disabled toilet and the assistant said to me ‘You’re not disabled, though.'

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"And so I said ‘How do you know that?’ I decided to just get the bag out and say ‘Does this make me disabled?'" The 29-year-old said she now has her own Radar key - which opens up more than 10,000 accessible toilets - to prevent being caught in another confrontation like this.

The 29-year-old revealed she had faced a long health journey when figuring out her condition - which affects as few as two in a million women per year. Doctors initially attributed her symptoms of recurring urinary tract infections to stress, after she was made redundant and went through a break-up in November 2023.

Her eventual rare diagnosis meant the suprapubic catheter attached to her lower abdomen had to be replaced every eight to 10 weeks, leaving her vulnerable to further infections. The communications professional revealed she spent 96 hours in A&E in 2024 alone because of her rare condition.

Evan shared she was "terrified" that she would be "like this forever" as her diagnosis has knocked her self-esteem and mental health. She said: "I’ve got a tube hanging out my vagina – I don’t feel sexy, I don’t feel my best, I don’t feel me.

"Before Fowler’s I was very, very busy and had no problems doing anything, really. I was in control of myself and doing everything I wanted, when I wanted."

Fowler’s Syndrome prevents the urethral sphincter from relaxing meaning urine cannot be released. Evan shared some of the shocking health ordeals her condition has forced her to endure. She said: "They found two litres of urine trapped in my bladder – a woman’s bladder should only hold about 500ml."

She explained the mental toll the syndrome has had on her, saying she is “constantly paranoid” that she smells of urine. Evan revealed her social life has also taken a huge hit from her health struggle.

The 29-year-old said: "I’m living at home, not only by choice, but also as a bit of a safety net because I could not afford to move out and go on the property ladder with my health so up and down." Evan currently lives with her mum Chere and her mother’s partner, Nick.

A spokesman for Greggs said: "We’re really sorry to learn that this customer request was not dealt with in line with our company policy. We will be taking steps to make sure all shop colleagues are aware of these policies to ensure this does not happen again."