Honorees
Meet our Fort Worth Honorees
Jack was diagnosed with perianal Crohn’s disease in July of 2022. His symptoms are not the “typical” Crohn’s symptoms. His body fights Crohn’s by creating a fistula to release inflammation. The fistula was misdiagnosed as a skin disease & was treated as such for 14 weeks. Upon diagnosis his body was in terrible shape and needed a surgical procedure to assist with healing the fistula. After one year, the fistula returned as his body had built antibodies against the treatment. Jack is now at the IBD center at Children’s Health and is being monitored more often through appointments, lab work, and MRIs. Through his journey with Crohn’s, we have held on to the positives. We walk through it together, as a family, with faith that Jack will get to the other side and knowing that we will see the greater purpose in this. During this time, baseball has been Jack’s saving grace. When he walks on to the field, Crohn’s is left behind. He is not a Crohn’s patient; he is a baseball player. Jack has incredible people in his life that support him as he navigates life with this disease, for this we are thankful.
Kevin is a longtime family friend of Jack’s and also this year’s adult Honored Hero. Kevin was diagnosed with UC in February of 2017 after experiencing blood in his stool. He was first given steroids and later was prescribed additional medications. His treatment seemed to work until he relapsed later that year. Unbeknownst to him, intense inflammation is a by-product of what your body is going through. In August, he experienced blood clots in his left leg, which led to a double pulmonary embolism. From that point forward, he began searching for a variety of solutions. His medical team suggested biologic infusions. After some time of reflection, he decided to begin the infusions while also enlisting chiropractic care to help his body heal itself. Kevin also adjusted his diet to eliminate added sugar and complex carbohydrates to reduce inflammation and work towards optimal gut health.
Kevin and Jack will be walking together with team Give ‘em Heck. To learn more about Kevin and Jack and support their team click here.
Honored Heroes share their stories to let other patients know they are not alone on their journeys — because no one should face the challenges and uncertainty of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in isolation. Through their stories, Honorees raise awareness of these diseases, raise funds to support the Foundation’s mission and inspire hope in those living with IBD.
To nominate a Take Steps Honoree, please complete this form.
