Part of how we celebrate each one of our 180 Medical College Scholarship Recipients is by featuring them individually on our blog. Today, we’d love for you to meet Lillian, one of 180 Medical’s ostomy scholarship recipients of 2020.
Meet 2020 Ostomy Scholarship Recipient Lillian
Lillian has lived with Crohn’s disease since she was only 3 years old. Crohn’s disease is a form of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) that can create a wide variety of symptoms in the body’s gastrointestinal tract, including pain, bleeding, fatigue, and more.
Lillian spent years in and out of the hospital, trying and failing different types of medication, and exploring all kinds of possible therapies. Finally, in January of 2017, she and her physician decided an ileostomy surgery would be the best course of action.
“After that surgery,” Lillian says, “I found myself able to do things I never could before. I now enjoy food instead of avoiding it, perform in concerts without the fear of needing to leave the stage, and reach academic achievements with fewer obstacles. Of course, living with a chronic illness and an ostomy brings good and bad days, but the good days now outweigh the bad, without question.”
Lillian Loves Giving Back and Helping Others
Despite all the challenges Lillian has gone through due to living with Crohn’s disease and an ileostomy, she is thriving and making the most of every day.
“After two years of college, I am proud of who I have become,” says Lillian. She is now in her junior year at Hope College, where she’s majoring in both music and biology with plans for a career in public health.
In addition to her packed course schedule, Lillian proudly serves as a Resident Assistant at her college. She regularly participates in ensembles and concerts, and she’s won several awards as well. She has even been a featured soloist in her college’s Showcase Concert for 2 years running now.
Outside of school, Lilian does all she can to help give back by participating in Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation events each year. Her favorite event is their Take Steps walk, which she encourages anyone and everyone to join. You can find your local Take Steps walk at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s website.
Also, Lillian loves being a camp counselor each summer at Camp Oasis, which is a camp for children living with Crohn’s disease and/or ulcerative colitis, another form of IBD. She says she was a camper there for many years, and today she loves doing whatever she can to help promote and support Camp Oasis.
We’re so proud to be able to assist Lillian to achieve her dreams through the 180 Medical College Scholarship Program.
About the 180 Medical College Scholarship Program
Are you heading to college in the fall of 2021? 180 Medical is currently taking applications through June 1st.
This annual scholarship program opportunity is open to eligible college students with one or more of the following medical conditions.
- Spina bifida
- Transverse myelitis
- Spinal cord injury
- Neurogenic bladder
- Ostomy (colostomy, urostomy, and/or ileostomy)
Get the details and apply online at www.staging.180medical.com/scholarships.
