Student's advocacy leads to foundation honor
It's been a difficult year for college students. There's no denying that.
Jaclyn Lenhart, who will be a senior at Slippery Rock University next year, is pursuing a four-year degree in recreational therapy.
Eventually, Lenhart said she hopes to work with pediatric patients.
In the meantime, she's navigating Crohn's disease while attending school.
“Crohn's disease is an invisible illness,” Lenhart said. “I look like a perfectly healthy 21-year-old girl. And I live my life like a perfectly healthy 21-year-old girl.”
Lenhart said she started experiencing symptoms when she was age 13, but wasn't diagnosed until she turned 17 years old.
The condition caused her to be malnourished and anemic throughout high school, eventually forcing her to attend cyberschool.
It also led her to her career path.“I found recreational therapy when I was in the hospital,” Lenhart said.Having Crohn's disease doesn't make her any different than a student who doesn't have it, according to Lenhart.“I just may need to do things a little bit differently,” Lenhart said.Lenhart said her association with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia began when she joined a support group.Soon after that, she formed a Take Steps team for the foundation's annual fundraising walk.Lenhart said she was dubbed the “top freshman fundraiser” for the 2018 Take Steps event, raising more than $5,000.That's also when she started volunteering with Camp Oasis as a counselor. With other counselors, Lenhart said she helped raise money and awareness for the foundation.All of this contributed to her being named the foundation's Adult Honored Hero for 2021.“Jaclyn exemplifies the importance of rallying young advocates,” said Erin Hecker, executive director of the foundation's Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia chapter. “We are so excited to celebrate her as the 2021 Take Steps Adult Honored Hero.”Lenhart said isolation is one of the biggest obstacles people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face. Often, it stems from a lack of education.Crohn's disease affects more than the bowels, but Lenhart said many people don't know that.Lenhart personally has dealt with joint swelling, stomach aches and other symptoms while handling a separate autoimmune condition.Lenhart said when she first started experiencing symptoms, she didn't know which questions to ask or where to find answers.“I had no clue about Crohn's disease before I was diagnosed,” Lenhart said.
The journey hasn't been without lessons, according to Lenhart.“I learned how strong of a person I am,” Lenhart said. “I've learned how much community matters.”Her condition has an impact on her college lifestyle, from the amount of classes she takes to the food she eats. She's been in the hospital every semester.But Lenhart said she continues to be involved in extracurricular activities, maintains a high GPA and spends time with other people.Lenhart said now that her friends know a little more about her condition, they're “awesome” about dealing with her symptoms.Having people in place who are understanding and supportive helps Lenhart navigate flares.She said it's important for people who have Crohn's or ulcerated colitis to talk about their conditions. It's also important to ask questions, according to Lenhart.She said that's the first step toward understanding the disease.“Eventually, my goal is to say, 'I had Crohn's disease,' instead of 'I have it,'” Lenhart said.Being involved in initiatives such as Take Steps and Camp Oasis helps Lenhart help others going through the same thing or who know someone who is.“The hope is to improve the lives of others with Crohn's,” Lenhart said.Hecker said it's important for people such as Lenhart to take the initiative when it comes to dealing with their conditions.“Jaclyn is always proving how strong and courageous our young advocates are,” Hecker said. “We are immensely proud of her journey as she continues putting her heart and soul into raising awareness and funds to cure IBD.”2021 Take Steps will be a free event June 13 on Heinz Field Gold Lot 1. More information is available at www.cctakesteps.org/pittsburgh.To learn more about the foundation, visit https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org.
