Addi's Journey

Addi and Ella

The journey to a diagnosis was not easy for Addi.

At only 15, she started having severe stomach pains. After some doctor's visits, it was discovered her gallbladder needed to be removed, but even after removal, the pains persisted. After a year of pain and sickness, in August 2024 she was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis. The average age to be diagnosed is 29.5, and she was only 16.

Contrary to common belief, there is a myriad of side effects to having Crohn's Disease: stomach pains, diet adjustments, sun sensitivity, extreme weight loss, and much more.

In November 2024, Addi had a life-saving, emergency surgery due to a blockage in her intestines after being hospitalized for a month. This led to her having an ileostomy bag: an ileostomy bag is a medical pouch worn on the outside of the body to collect the contents of the small intestine through an opening in the abdomen (called a stoma). For weeks she could not eat solid foods, and she was monitored in the hospital until the beginning of December.

She has had the ileostomy bag since, but several other precautions have been taken. Around Christmas time she got permission to do an at-home picc line so she could spend the holidays at home instead of her hospital "penthouse suite".

This brings us to today. Her journey has been long, but she has been an inspiration to our entire family with her strength.