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Honorees
An Honoree is someone who provides inspiration to our athletes throughout the training and fundraising period. Honorees serve as symbols of strength and motivation, support and determination. An Honoree is someone who is currently is being treated for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
When participants join Team Challenge, they commit to many months of training and fundraising before completing a half marathon. They are not only motivated by their own personal fitness goals, but are truly inspired by the bravery and fortitude of each Honoree.
Hello,my name is Piper Lord. I am in the fourth grade and I am 9 years old. I was diagnosed with moderate Crohn’s disease on August 8, 2012. During the spring and summer I was getting thinner, but I was active and my parents thought that all the exercise was keeping me thin. Toward the end of July my doctor said I had an abscess and wanted to try antibiotics to help me heal. By Monday August 6th I had a really high fever and the doctor said I was septic. I took an ambulance to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and had a lot of tests. I had to have an MRI and I had to drink stuff that made me sick. The next night I had surgery for the abscess and a procedure called a fistulotomy. The next week Ihad an endoscopy and a colonoscopy and that told them that I had Crohn’s.
When I left the hospital I was taking a lot of medicine. The doctor said that he wanted to start a medicine called Remicade. I had to go back to the hospital to get this medicine through an IV, it hurt to get the needle and it took 2 hours for the medicine to go in, but it worked! I felt really good and I started to gain weight again, but after my third infusion I developed an allergic reaction to it. The reaction is so bad that I get all red and my throat gets tight. So I can’t use it anymore.
Duringall of this I developed another abscess, but I didn’t have to have surgery for this one. Dr. Sayej changed the antibiotic that I take and now we are using Humira. I got my first injection on December 19, 2012, and as long as it works I will have to get an injection every two weeks. So far, Humira makes me feel better so I can do the things I like to do read, play Just Dance on the Wii,and hang out with my best friend, my younger sister Amy.
My mom raised over $3000 and ran a half marathon for CCFA in June 2012, before we even knew I had Crohn’s. She said it was her way to “give back”. I have participated in a one study so far through CCMC and CCFA because that’s how I can help right now. If I can keep one person from having to go through what Idid, it’s worth it!
So I am excited to be an honoree for Team Challenge! Every walker and runner will get us that much closer to a cure and a cure is so important! Thank you for helping to make a difference.
Hi, my name is Mark Bissell. I am almost thirteen and I'm a 7th grader at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School in Wallingford. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was 11 and just entering middle school. My symptoms started as stomach pains and pains in my joints. I wasn't gaining any weight and my skin tone was very pale. What concerned us the most was that I had cold sores in the corners of my mouth that would not go away and my lips were abnormally swollen. We finally went to see a doctor and after a series of tests we had a colonoscopy done and revealed that I had a severe condition of Crohn's disease.
The initial medicines I took didn't work and I ended up with an abscess that came through my intestine. I was in the hospital for a week. I've had a couple more surgeries since then. I am now taking Remicade every 7-8 weeks along with a couple other medicines and they seem to be helping. I've grown six inches and gained 15 pounds since I was first diagnosed. Through it all I have keep straight A's in school in both years.
I enjoy playing guitar and saxophone and my favorite sports are basketball, football, baseball and cross country. I still try to play sports but I really can't play competitively until I get a little better. I enjoy reading and collecting comic books. All of these hobbies and activities help make my experiences go along easier.
My family is also very helpful and caring. My family includes my sister Shannon, my parents and my dog Kasper who is a yellow lab. My Dad and I have a tradition of trying out local restaurants after my Remicade treatments and also going to the comic book store to buy a few of my favorite issues.
I would like to thank everyone for their efforts to raise money in order to help find a cure for Crohn's disease. Hopefully someday we will find a cure for this illness.
