(Photo Courtesy: Stacy Dylan)
Lowell, Jonah, and Stacy Dylan at a Team Challenge event.

Staff Reports

Los Angeles – Lowell Dylan is not your typical 14-year old boy.  At just 2-years of age, Lowell was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s Disease, and his world has been profoundly changed.

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are serious, life altering chronic illnesses. This is not just an upset stomach or irritable bowel syndrome. These are autoimmune disorders which profoundly impact the quality of a person’s life.  These diseases can be especially aggressive in children, and often cause growth failure because of an inability to absorb nutrients properly.

(Photo Courtesy: Stacy Dylan)
Lowell Dylan

Lowell’s mother, Stacy Dylan, feels that there is nothing as difficult as watching your child live with daily pain, fatigue, and the many other symptoms of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Lowell has been on nearly every medication available, most of the time with too many side effects and no results.

Lowell’s disease has been very challenging for the family with countless hospital stays and surgeries. There are periods of time where he could not eat solid food and had to receive nutrition through a PICC line.  He also endures countless medication injections, medical tests, procedures, and doctors’ visits.

In February 2013, things took a turn for the worse when Lowell’s bowel perforated after a double balloon colonoscopy. He had to immediately have surgery and was recovering in the ICU, when just four days later a complication resulted in another surgery. In total, Lowell spent two weeks at Cedars Sinai with his mother by his side every day.  This past year, he had two more surgeries, and was hospitalized for pain, dehydration and other issues.

“Lowell is very resilient and lives his life in a way that puts his disease secondary to just being a kid. He plays sports, performs in piano recitals and is also a good student. He missed about a third of the [school] year in the past few years, but manages to complete school with really good grades. Anyone who knows Lowell is aware of his perseverance, determination, ever present sense of humor, and ability to make light of his situation. That is not to say that he does not experience sadness and dark days.  But his ability to not let his disease define him is truly an inspiration,” says Stacy.

Because of her son and the 1.6 million people living with Crohn’s Disease, Stacy has been participating in Team Challenge for the past several years, and the upcoming San Diego Triathlon will be her 11th event.

Stacy has found inspiration and says, “With Team Challenge, I have found a community, made new friends, and it has been a great way to keep fit while doing something so important.  We are raising awareness and money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, which is working hard every day to bring new treatments and a cure that will help Lowell and all the other amazing children and adults I have met over the years who suffer and fight these diseases every day.”

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn’s Disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while Ulcerative Colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery.  These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Approximately 1.6 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18.  Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s mission is to cure Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation ranks third among leading health nonprofits in the percentage of expense devoted to research toward a cure, and more than 81 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends goes to mission-critical programs. The Foundation consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, including the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). For more information, contact the Foundation at (800) 932-2423 or visit www.ccfa.org.

If you would like to help Stacy and Lowell in their fight against Crohn’s and Colitis, visit CCTeamChallenge.org to register for an event.  You can also make a donation by visiting http://online.ccfa.org/goto/StacyNapa2015.