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The Great Comebacks® Program Now in its 22nd year, the Great Comebacks® program recognizes people who have fought courageous battles against Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, or who have undergone ostomy surgery. Since 1984, the men and women who have received this award have served as role models to thousands of people across America. This program is jointly sponsored by ConvaTec, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and CCFA. Former NFL football star Rolf Benirschke is the founder and serves as the Chairman of the Great Comebacks program.
This year, the Great Comebacks Awards will recognize five regional recipients. All recipients will receive an all-expense paid trip with $500 in spending money to the city in which the formal award presentation will be held. In addition, one national Great Comebacks Award recipient will receive The Glass Eagle, handcrafted in crystal by James Houston, a designer at the world-renowned Steuben glassworks. All recipients will have the opportunity to share their stories at various Great Comebacks events around the country throughout the year.
Every year, ConvaTec also awards the Ina Brudnick Scholarship to a deserving student, 24 years of age or younger, who intends to pursue higher education. The student must have undergone ostomy surgery and/or have had Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The value of the scholarship is $2,500.
For more information, including how to apply for the Great Comebacks Award and the Ina Brudnick Scholarship, please go to GreatComebacks.com.
Meet the 2005 recipients:
2005 Great Comebacks Recipient
Rick Ellison An avid runner and competitive college wrestler, Rick dreamed of being an All American. Frequent, lengthy hospital stays and harsh medication took their toll on Rick's body. He tried to ignore the cramps and bleeding, the off and on hospitalization and the extensive weight loss, but eventually he had to put his athletic dreams on hold.
Overwhelmed and depressed at his seemingly bleak future, Rick hit rock bottom. But a family tragedy forced Rick to reevaluate his outlook and take charge of his own destiny. The road to recovery would not be an easy one, but he was determined to begin "living again." He began a fierce rehabilitation program and within months was walking on his own. He began jogging and then running. He enrolled in school, became engaged to the love of his life, and even started wrestling competitively again. His life was back on track.
But physical recovery was not enough for Rick. He firmly believes that "getting well is useless unless you can share the lessons you've learned with others." He drew inspiration from recovering professional athletes who turned their personal hardships into an opportunity to help others. He is actively involved in groups and projects that raise money and awareness for people suffering from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. And, he strives to "instill a sense of courage that anything is possible after IBD."
Now an active marathon runner, triathlete, and volunteer, Rick spends much of his time enjoying life's simple pleasures and encouraging those around him to do the same. When asked what he is most proud of, Rick speaks of his vow to continually grow stronger in his faith and make himself the best husband, father, friend, and athlete he can be. "As long as I keep this promise, I will continue my 'Comeback' for years to come."
2005 Ina Brudnick Scholarship Recipient
Teresa Dvorak In some ways, going home from the hospital on the fourth of July after Teresa's emergency surgery was a signal: Would this be the beginning of her independence, or would the ulcerative colitis and ileostomy have a vise grip on her life and her future? For Teresa, an ileostomy meant freedom. Freedom from pain, freedom from a debilitating disease, and the freedom to start anew.
For two years, she went through a physical and emotional roller-coaster ride, including exacerbations, mild osteoporosis from steroid treatments, pancreatitis and, ultimately, a perforated colon leading to emergency surgery. The support from her family made a big difference in her recovery. "My mother was the reason I would get out of bed and walk after my surgery. My whole family pitched in. That was the best part."
Teresa earned her Associates Degree in Nursing at North Central Texas College in December, and is planning to pursue her Bachelor's in Nursing. She intends to become an Enterostomal Therapy Nurse. "This experience made me want to be a nurse, to help people. I want them to understand that you don't have to rearrange your goals and dreams because you have an ostomy. After all I have experienced, I think I can help people in similar situations."
For Teresa, it is a new beginning.
2005 Honorary Great Comebacks Recipient
Rob Hill Standing at the base of Russia's Mt. Elbrus, Europe's highest peak, in June, 2002, Rob Hill contemplated the beginning of one of the most important journeys of his life: "Life with an ostomy was my second chance and I was not going to waste it."
Rob was diagnosed in 1993 with Crohn's disease, and had his colon removed a year and a half later. Eight years after his life-changing surgery, standing at the base of Mt. Elbrus, Rob was about to embark on a mission: He would climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents. He called it his "NO GUTS KNOW GLORY! Seven Summits Campaign." "By taking it to the extreme, taking on the Seven Summits, I hope to show other people living with a chronic intestinal problem that it shouldn't stop them from living a full life."
In 2003, Rob scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, and in 2004 Rob climbed Aconcagua in Argentina, South America. Rob then reached the summit of Mt. McKinley or Denali, in Alaska, in June 2005. Most recently, Rob summitted Antarctica's Vinson Massif in January 2006, the fifth mountain in his Seven Summits campaign.
Rob is a living example of the spirit of Great Comebacks -- proving that an ostomy is not about removing an internal organ as much as it is about getting a second chance, and an opportunity to lead a meaningful and normal life. The honorary Great Comebacks Award that we present to Rob is our way of saying "thank you," for spreading the great comeback spirit to everyone he meets and to all those who learn of his extraordinary journey. Date Posted: May 9, 2006 |
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