Imagine you’re back in grade school. You’re doing well in class. You’re excelling in the sport you love. You have a good group of friends. But you’re also dealing with a chronic condition. No one can see it, but you can certainly feel it — it’s always there. And sometimes the pain is so bad that you’re forced to miss out on your classes, practice and time with your friends.  

That’s tough. But at 15 years old, Sam is tougher.

Sam is a high-achieving competitive gymnast with her sights relentlessly set on her next state championship win. For nearly her whole life, Sam has been involved in gymnastics. She loves it. But for years, she’s also lived with perianal Crohn’s disease. It’s a severe complication of Crohn’s disease that causes inflammation around the anus and can lead to painful abscesses, cuts or scar tissue.  

As she tried to stay focused on perfecting her routines and preparing for competitions, her symptoms were becoming more uncomfortable. The more active she was, the more active her Crohn’s was. But she fought through the pain.  

“It was complicating things, and I began to miss more practices,” said Sam. “But if you miss too many, they won’t let you compete because it’s dangerous. It got to the point where, if I wanted to compete, I’d just have to show up for practice and push through.”  

Eventually, the pain did become too much — it was holding her back. “It was tough going to school. In 4th and 5th grade, I missed a lot of school actually,” said Sam. “It was hard keeping up with people, keeping up with friends, keeping up with what they were doing. And then, they found other friends to hang out with. That was hard.”  

In search of a solution, Sam was referred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). CHOP’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (GI) is one of the largest and most robust pediatric GI divisions in the U.S., delivering care to thousands of children every year. Within it is the Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which offers a unique program for children with perianal Crohn’s disease.  

CHOP’s first-of-its-kind Perianal IBD Program is supported by a multidisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, surgeons, wound care experts, physical therapists, nurses and psychologists who work together to provide personalized care to every child and collaborate with other experts to uncover new treatment opportunities.

Led by Art Kastl, MD, Sam’s care plan has included several surgeries and ongoing treatment to manage symptoms. She takes more time than most kids out of her busy schedule to battle a persistent condition — but it’s working. “Comparing where I was a few years ago to now, it’s definitely gotten easier and a lot better,” said Sam.

With her symptoms finally under control, Sam isn’t missing out anymore. Now able to compete regularly, she’s more focused than ever on how far she can take her gymnastics career.  

Sam works hard. She doesn’t give up and she hopes to share her motivation with others. “I want other patients like me to know that they’re not alone,” said Sam. “There are other people out there that are dealing with the same things. And if you just work hard and push through, with support, you can get through anything.”