Climbing mountains: “I won’t let ulcerative colitis define me”

Mark Donohue craves outdoor activity. While most were braving Old Man Winter’s 2015 wrath, this 19-year-old Ticonderoga, New York native embraced Mother Nature and hiked to the summit of his home state’s Black Mountain, tackled the slopes in Colorado and pond-skated locally with friends. Mark says his love of the great outdoors and his quest to climb new personal heights has never been overshadowed by ulcerative colitis. “I won’t let the disease define me,” says Donohue, a college freshman at Binghamton University in New York. “I take it in stride, stay positive and don’t let ulcerative colitis dictate the kind of person I want to be.” Ulcerative colitis isn’t slowing Mark Donohue down. Watch Mark’s amateur video recapping his 2015 winter adventures. Mark’s journey with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) began in 2010 during his freshman year of high school. The 14-year-old embraced high school life – he joined the football team, enrolled in the school’s music program and formed a student-run band called “Flipside.” He was thriving.   A season of change Mark’s quest for new adventures continued. Later in the year, the young athlete played winter basketball and spring baseball.  As the seasons changed and Mark’s activity list lengthened, one thing remained constant: his ongoing stomach pain. “I had a lot of stomach pain and cramps, but that was pretty typical for me,” Mark says. “When I started to see blood when I ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & conditions Our patients’ stories Source Type: news