Ali

Marathon #17 – 26.2 for Ali

Ali’s story:

When Marc asked me to be one of his featured stories, I was beyond honored. As many of you know, Marc is an amazing and generous person who we are all fortunate to have in our lives, especially us IBD patients.

I met Marc in the winter of 2009 as he was coming on to coach his first season with Team Challenge. By then, with the help of Remicade, my disease was more or less in remission, only having one small flare in the previous 3 years. However, the prior 10 years were a different story.

Three years before my Crohn’s diagnosis, in third grade, I was on the playground before school started and I pooped my pants. Too embarrassed to tell the nurse what really happened, I made up some story so I could be picked up early. From there, I was diagnosed lactose intolerant with a later, more complete diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Going from being anemically skinny to having prednisone cheeks in middle school is not anything I’d wish on anyone. Neither is having your growth and development stunted in high school and missing countless days of school for doctors’ appointments, invasive procedures, being in too much pain to even make it out of bed, and of course the dreaded “s” word, surgeries.

With the help of continued research and support, much in part due to the funding of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, I am fortunate to look back upon this time and see a different person. So on behalf of the former me, and all the former me’s currently living that nightmare, thank you Marc. Thank you for your dedication, perseverance, and support.  It’s because of people like you that there’s hope that one day there will be no more sick, sad and embarrassed kids suffering from IBD.

Good Luck and go kick some IBD butt!!!

Running 26.2 for Ali!

Marathon 17 – Recap