Shortly after my 16th birthday in April of 2008, I was diagnosed with Crohn's. After almost a year and a half of unexplained abdominal pain and chronic fatigue, the diagnosis came as a relief to me. Finally, I had an answer. But my parents seemed devastated to hear the news. My dad has suffered from UC for almost 30 years, finally having to have his colon completely removed.

This past summer of 2009, Crohn's almost took my life. I was in the hospital already for a flare, but I seemed to be improving quickly. But a just a few short days before I supposed to be released, I passed out suddenly due to a massive bleed in my small intestine. I lost over a liter of blood in a matter of minutes. I remember waking up briefly to see about 25 people hovering over me and my blood pressure at 60/30. They told me I was as white as my bed sheets. They finally got me stabilized and moved up to the ICU. Over the next weeks, I received a total of 10 blood transfusions, had two colonoscopies, and angiogram, and swallowed two pill cams in the hope of finding the bleed site, which was never found. I was put on steroids and began treatment on Remicade, and was sent home after a month in the hospital.

Now I am a senior in high school and doing better than ever! I feel like without my experience with this disease, I would not be who I am today. It has truly shown me to appreciate every healthy moment in life.