British makeup artist, Bethany Townsend, who suffers from Crohn's disease, made international headlines after posing in a bikini with her colostomy bags showing.

The 23-year-old former model dared to bare after being fitted with the two bags. The brunette beauty posed proudly in a couple different photos wearing bikinis and showing off her colostomy bags.

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The photos have reportedly been viewed over 9 million times and Townsend found herself overwhelmed by the positive response to the images.

Since then, the young woman has reportedly decided to once again pursue her dream of becoming a full-time model.

Ms. Townsend, who has suffered from Crohn's disease since the age of three, said she was "devastated" when she was first fitted with the colostomy bags, but upon seeing the positive reactions to the photos she has since been able to accept them.

Crohn's disease is a condition which causes inflammation of the digestive system and ultimately affects a person's ability to digest food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste.

After almost dying from a bowel rupture in 2010, Bethany awoke from surgery to discover she'd been fitted with the two colostomy bags.

Reportedly, meeting her husband Ian also helped Ms. Townsend to move and grow to accept them.

Ian encouraged Bethany to understand that there was more to her than her colostomy bags and when they jetted off to Mexico last year she finally felt confident enough to pose in a bikini.

When she returned from her holiday, Ms. Townsend then contacted Crohn's and Colitis UK Facebook group to ask if she could post some of her photos up on their page. Once she received the go-ahead, she put up the pictures, and, in Bethany's own words, "it all blew up from there."

The pictures have definitely had a good effect on Bethany who states that she will no longer allow the disease to control her life or prevent her from chasing her dreams. 

TagsBethany Townsend, crohns disease, model, colostomy bags, bikini pictures