Honorees
Brianna Vivian
My name is Brianna Vivian. I am 17 years old. In March of 2006 I was initially diagnosed with indeterminate Ulcerative Colitis/Crohn’s disease. I went through horrible rounds of Prednisone and suffered every single side effect possible. I tried every medical treatment including Remicade infusions and ended up failing all of them. After all of this, my doctor finally referred me to another doctor. After another colonoscopy, I was diagnosed as having ulcerative colitis. It was strongly suggested that I go ahead with J pouch surgery and get my entire colon removed.
After all the pain I had been through and the thought of being on steroids for the rest of my life to stay in remission, there was no hesitation for me to say yes. I went through my first surgery at the end of September, 2007 and lived with an ostomy appliance until November 6th, the day of my second surgery. Of course, not everything went exactly as planned. There were a few bumps in the road but in the long run things turned out well. I missed a month and half of school the start of my junior high school year and still have maintained an almost 4.0 GPA. Besides school, I also missed out on my favorite sport, cross-country, two years in a row.
When I found out about the Team Challenge ½ marathon in Miami, I knew it was something I needed to do. It was an opportunity to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America as well as run in beautiful, warm Miami! My friends, family and community were all very generous and supportive. Together we raised over $7,000 for CCFA. So less than three months after surgery, my dad and I ran the ½ marathon together for the first 8 miles but then I left him in my dust and I finished ahead of him. It was an awesome experience for me that I was able to do so well and feel good the whole time.
This past May, I had agreed to be a honored hero for the Take Steps walk. I participated in the walk 3 days after getting out of the hospital again, this time for emergency surgery (on my Junior Prom night) to remove obstructions due to adhesions. At this time I am trying yoga, acupuncture, learning a lot about the healthcare field through a summer internship with Lakeshore Clinic, going to go to cross-country camp as well as Camp Oasis and hope to join Team Challenge for the run next year.
The CCFA has been so helpful for my family and me: We have met wonderful people in the office and youth group families, participated in and learned so much from many of the educational programs, and benefited from my camp experience.
Kevin A. Barnes
My name is Kevin A. Barnes and I am a marketing executive, serial entrepreneur and futurist-in-training. People often tell me that it seems like nothing will slow me down, and I hope my experience with Crohn’s disease confirms that impression.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1975 at age 12. The disease was extremely active during my teenage years, resulting in numerous surgeries and long periods on steroids (e.g., Prednisone). By the time I was 16, things had gotten so bad that my doctors decided to put me on total bowel rest in an attempt to slow the disease and wean me off of steroids. “Total bowel rest” meant that I was unable to eat or drink anything for ten months, and received all my nutrition through an IV needle during that that entire time.
During this period I also managed to take high school honors classes and graduate on schedule, compete as part of one of the top math teams in Wisconsin and start a successful computer processing business with several of my friends. During college, a series of fistulas and an abdominal abscess damaged my colon to the degree that most of it needed to be removed. So I printed a custom tee-shirt that read “I’m a Semi-Colon.” My current challenge? To run the half-marathon with Team Challenge in San Antonio.
Despite the challenges and health issues that Crohn’s has introduced into my life, however, my journey thus far has been a positive one. I’ve been fortunate enough to discover many people and resources that have helped me live my life fully … in spite of Crohn’s disease. With the help of family, friends, healthcare providers and CCFA, I’ve been able to live beyond my Crohn’s and build a professional career, get married, and pursue my dreams. I am honored to help represent all of those impacted by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as part of the Team Challenge program.
updated 7/2/08