Honorees

Team Challenge HONORED HERO!!!
While training with Team Challenge, teammates raise funds for the foundation and will run in honor of the chapter's Honored Hero . 

        
Meet the Northwest Chapter's HONORED HERO ,  
supporting the team as we head to Las Vegas!
Savannah Hodapp

 

My life changed forever in 2010. After much suffering, admission to three hospitals and countless doctors’ visits, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease-an autoimmune disease that attacks the digestive system. Unlike others, I was actually relieved to have a diagnosis even when I learned there was no cure.

Knowing what I was battling made all the difference at the time. Little did I know then that I would suffer even more via a rare reaction to the treatment that left me in agonizing nerve pain for months. I couldn't eat, drink, walk or even sit up.  I had to learn how to live again through the pain. As a result, I missed months of school and now I learn online. I also missed my entire 2010 summer spending it in hospitals.

Although Crohn's appeared to only bring pain and suffering, there was a silver lining. Hospital visits introduced me to lifelong friends. I have a dear friend who has suffered with Crohn’s for 12 of 14 years of her life and is currently in remission. I recently met a new friend with Ulcerative Colitis who at age 12 had to have her colon removed.                        

Knowing that I was not the only teenage girl suffering through similar symptoms has given me added strength to persevere.  I wanted to find a way to live a full life without having it defined by Crohn's. As my family researched Crohn's and the CCFA, my birth Mom, a runner, joined Team Challenge. Although I was NJ tube feeding and needed a wheelchair for most of the trip, my Mom and I made it to Vegas to see her run for me. I was amazed to see thousands of people take the time to run to help find a cure for me.

This year I am doing so much better. In June I went to Camp Oasis and had an amazing time hanging out with others my age who understand what living with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis is like. I also participated in Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis in July where I walked with one of my dear friends who suffers from Ulcerative Colitis. It felt great to walk together knowing that we were helping raise money for a cure. We will do all we can to raise awareness and money and will not stop until a cure is found.

Now I am taking the challenge and training to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas half marathon in December. This year we are making it a family affair. My brother and best friend, Spencer, has always been a great big brother, but he went above and beyond during my illness and physical rehab. He will be my running partner, while my birth mom, mentor and parents will be our cheerleaders. Together we will do all we can to fight for a cure. Please join us in making a difference!