Lucas's Story

By the time Lucas saw his GI doctor, he had lost almost 20 pounds and was suddenly struggling to stay awake during the day. His battle with Crohn’s disease had begun and he was only in 6th grade. Frequent bowl movements and continued weight loss earned him a 13th birthday party trip to the hospital for an upper and lower endoscopy. After the tests, Lucas was relieved to find out that he wasn’t crazy for feeling so sick, but unfortunately he had Crohn’s, a disease he would endure for the rest of his life. Lucas is now 15 years old and has been living a “normal life” thanks to a combination of drugs, including a biologic. Unlike most of his peers, he carries an “anytime pass” to use the bathroom at school, visits the school nurse every day to take his medication, and gets a biologic medication injection every other Sunday morning. Inspired to do something to make a difference, Lucas and his family joined their local Take Steps in Omaha to help find cures for Lucas and the 80,000 kids in the U.S. fighting IBD. “I will always have Crohn’s disease. I will always need my medicine. I will always carry my laminated bathroom passes. And I will always need the support of the Crohn’s & colitis community.”