A PORTLAND prison officer suffering from Crohn’s Disease has made a light-hearted plea for people to stay at home.

Adam Fagan, 27, has turned to humour to try to get across his serious message that we all need to follow Government advice and stay indoors in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

He has uploaded a photograph of himself to social media posing in boxer shorts and socks behind some bricks spelling out the words “STAY HOME”.

After spending Christmas in hospital and having to return for an emergency surgery four weeks later, he had a stoma bag fitted which is clearly visible in the picture.

Mr Fagan said: “The picture is a little bit of fun and helping me keep occupied but I’m also raising awareness because you can see my stoma in the picture and the boxer shorts and socks are to raise awareness of testicular cancer.

“There is a lot of stigma around stoma bags, people seem to think it’s for older people and they think I won’t be able to do certain things, but eventually I’ll be able to do anything I could do before it was fitted.”

Mr Fagan, an officer at Portland Prison, wants his picture to raise awareness of the Crohn’s and Colitis charity, the Oddballs charity, which helps increase awareness of testicular cancer, and the importance of staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Fagan said: “Crohn’s and Colitis is really important to me as it’s close to home and I’ve been directly affected.

“Although I haven’t been directly affected by testicular cancer, the things the Oddballs charity does is the reason I’m wearing my boxer shorts which they send me each month after I donate to their cause.

“My third cause is encouraging people to stay and home and save lives. A lot of people think they are invincible but that isn’t the case.”

Mr Fagan currently lives on Portland with his wife. She will be moving out over the coming days as she is a nurse at Dorset County Hospital and, because Adam is categorised as a vulnerable person, she will need to avoid contact with him for his safety.

Mr Fagan wants people to try to enjoy themselves during the lockdown and desperately wants everyone to follow the lockdown advice. He said: “Keep listening to what is being said and the advice that we are getting.

“Keep abiding by it whilst keeping yourselves busy. Keep in touch with people, have a bit of fun and talk about things that are bothering you.“That’s a message I put across my social media when I was in hospital. I want people to know that it’s okay to talk and it’s okay to be different.”