Hayden Deese at last year’s Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis at Mercer County Park.
Robbinsville resident Hayden Deese is set to be recognized as an Honored Hero at the Mercer County Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis Walk.
Nine-year-old Deese was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease five years ago. Deese and his team, Haydee Hoo, are set to participate in the walk to support the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.
In 2008, Deese was a typical healthy, active four-year-old boy when he started having frequent bowel movements and couldn’t even make it more than 20 minutes without having to use the bathroom.
“We tried to go to the beach one Saturday afternoon and could not make it out of the neighborhood.” says Haden’s mom, Heather Deese, said in a statement. That afternoon Hayden was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; within a few days he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
In December 2011, Deese hit rock bottom. His diagnosis was changed from colitis to Crohn’s disease. Hayden was having a flare-up and as a result was unresponsive to any medications and treatment. He was admitted to the hospital again over winter break.
Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn’s disease may attack anywhere along the digestive track, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss and fatigue.
Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. One in 200 people 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.
Currently, Deese takes about 15 pills a day and receives a weekly injection, in addition to an IV infusion every 4 weeks.
He was selected as the this year’s Honored Hero because he exemplifies courage, commitment, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Mercer County Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis is scheduled for Oct. 12 at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.
More information is online at cctakesteps.org/goto/hdeese.
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