A final-year medical student is scootering the length of New Zealand to raise funds for Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand (CCNZ) and to draw attention to an everyday concern for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): finding a clean, accessible toilet. His journey highlights a practical issue that affects thousands of people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis across the country.
Background
Jahman Cochrane was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a form of IBD, at the age of eleven. He is due to complete his medical training in Dunedin this year before starting work as a hospital doctor in Invercargill in 2027. According to CCNZ, Jahman originally planned an overseas placement as part of his studies, but cancelled those plans after being admitted to hospital with a Crohn’s flare, a period when symptoms become more active. He decided instead to travel around New Zealand on a 150cc scooter.
What the charity reported
CCNZ says Jahman’s trip, named Hunt for the Greatest Toilets, will take around 24 days and cover approximately 3,500 kilometres, from Bluff to Cape Reinga. Along the way, he plans to review public toilets and share updates on social media, alongside reflections on living with Crohn’s disease. The fundraising campaign has a target of five thousand New Zealand dollars for CCNZ, a charity that supports people affected by IBD through education, advocacy and community programmes, including a camp for young people with the condition that Jahman attended earlier in life.
Jahman said that thinking about toilet access is something many people with IBD do every day, even though it rarely crosses the minds of those without the condition. CCNZ chief executive Belinda Brown said the campaign, while light-hearted in concept, reflects genuine daily challenges faced by people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Why this matters
IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, lifelong conditions in which the gut lining becomes inflamed. Symptoms can include urgent and frequent bowel movements, which is why reliable access to toilets matters so much for daily life, work and social activities. CCNZ states that more than 20,000 people in New Zealand live with IBD, and research from Canterbury suggests the number of people affected has nearly tripled since 2006. The charity also points to international research indicating that IBD is becoming more common worldwide, partly because people are living longer with the condition, adding pressure on health services globally, including in New Zealand.
Campaigns like this one can help raise public awareness of a condition that is often not visible to others, and can support charities that provide information and community connection for people managing these conditions.
What to keep in mind
This is a fundraising and awareness initiative rather than a clinical study, so it does not provide new medical evidence about Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. The personal experiences described are specific to one individual and may not reflect everyone’s experience of IBD. Anyone concerned about symptoms of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis should speak with their own healthcare provider rather than relying on general awareness campaigns for medical guidance.
Reference
Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand. Hunt for the Greatest New Zealand Toilets [press release]. 6 October 2026. Published via Scoop (scoop.co.nz).
This article is a journalistic summary for informational purposes only. It does not constitute clinical advice or a recommendation to alter treatment decisions.