An Ayrshire model who battles coeliac disease is hoping to raise awareness of the condition after landing a place in a top UK beauty pageant.
Katy Broun, 18, from Maybole has posed up for top sportswear brand Nike and stunned on the runway for fashion shows and glamorous beauty brands.
Now she is striving to be crowned Miss Great Britain after reaching the finals of the Glasgow heat.
Katy suffers from coeliac disease which causes a serious allergic response from the body when a person eats gluten.
The former Belmont Academy pupil was left “freaking out” when doctors revealed the life changing diagnosis at the start of the year - forcing her to transform her diet.
But now Katy wants to show other youngsters that coeliac doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the things you love, after finding great gluten free restaurants in Ayrshire
Katy told Ayrshire Live: “I suffer with coeliac, it took them about a year to diagnose when they finally told me I was freaking out. All I could think was ‘how the hell am I going to deal with this?’
“I found out so late in life, I’ve had to adapt to a whole new lifestyle.
“Finding out instantly changed everything, it was quite overwhelming to begin with.”
Katy first started to fell unwell two years ago when she started to display symptoms including drastically losing weight and developing eczema.
Doctors ran through tests including an endoscopy a procedure which sees a camera placed down someone’s throat.
Meanwhile Katy put on a brave face for photo shoots knowing something wasn’t right.
Kay explained: “My skin all dried up, it looked like eczema. It just dried up on my face and down one side of my body.
“Doctors put me through so many tests. I had a camera down my throat, I had so many blood tests, I nearly fainted during them.
“I was still modelling during all of this. I’ve modelled for Nike, Niche Brow and the Scottish Fashion Association."
Katy is still battling the disease with the drastic change in diet affecting her immune system.
She added: “It’s tragic when you eat something you shouldn’t you just end up so ill.
“Of course there are things that I miss. I can’t just pop into McDonald’s for a cheese burger anymore.
“But I’ve found so many great local places that offer alternatives on their menu. Lido in Prestwick for example, they offer a gluten free option for every item on their menu.
“It has allowed me to still enjoy a night out with my pals or go out with my family.
“I thought I’d never be able to leave the house but I’ve been able to adapt.
“I want other people to be aware of the great businesses out there in Ayrshire that help people who have food intolerance.”
Katy, who stays at home with mum Emma, dad Colin was head hunted by the Miss Great Britain team who reached out to her on Instagram.
After being invited on as a contestant for the finals in July, she’s determined to use the platform to help a number of great causes.
As well as raising awareness of coeliac, Katy has offered her support to Business Beats Cancer Ayrshire, Scotland Loves Local and South Ayrshire Women’s Aid.
Katy added: “I want to do Ayrshire proud. I want to help people and some great causes along the way.
“I’m determined to make a difference and use my campaign to spread the word about coeliac disease, as well as help others in the region.”
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