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Newest Stories:

WEGO Health Award – Thomas Exler, Jamie Holmes & Amy Oestreicher

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Trey Lyle

2016 Courage To Shine ™ – Brittney Freeman – July 9 2016

2016 Courage to Shine™ Lisha Martinez & Adam Young Award

Brittney Freeman was presented with the 2016 Courage to Shine™ Lisha Marttinez & Adam Young Award on Saturday July 9 2016.

Brittney Nichole Freeman is a 27-year-old born with classic exstrophy. Born Brittney Nichole Godfrey on August 2nd,1988, Brittney had her primary major reconstruction surgery at the Children’s Hospital of the University of Oklahoma in 2000, as a patient Dr. Bradley Kropp. He is, in her eyes, a miracle worker. She loves to proudly show off his handiwork in the form of her awesome belly button; that is also her cathing stoma. She loves that she is able to catheterize, even if it can at times be very painful. As a child she was constantly wet and wore pull ups until she met Dr. Kropp and his nurse Lori in 1999…

Jon Pierroz – Adversity to Triumph

VIDEO Click Here

Jon Pierroz interview by Courage to Shine™ and he just got married this month.

To view more: Jon Pierroz – Adversity to Triumph

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Erin Kavanagh – Being Secure & Sure of Oneself is a Beautiful Thing

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By Erin Kavanagh

I remember being around ten years old when I started to realize something separated me from my peers. As I started to grow older and more aware that my everyday routine differed from everyone else’s, I began to feel isolated. Ten-year-old me didn’t know anyone else my age who always had to have a catheter with them, or a bag attached to their abdomen. Then, on the first day of Ostomy Canada Society Youth Camp located just outside of Bragg Creek, AB at Camp Horizon Easter Seals, I met dozens of kids with experiences and ostomy bags just like mine.

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Mindi Plumley Thayer – Triumphing Over Exstrophy

By Mindi Plumley Thayer

I was born on April 17, 1982 at 3:43 pm. I was the first child of two for my parents Dale and Nina Plumley. At birth the doctors thought I had a hernia. When they went in to repair the hernia they discovered that I had classic bladder exstrophy. At that point the doctors were in over their heads so they sent me to Seattle Children’s Hospital...

Caelin Mooney – Kinder than Necessary

By Caelin Mooney

My name is Caelin Mooney, I am 22 years old, a future child life specialist, an advocate for children and families, a Godmother, a sister, a cousin, a niece, a daughter… the list could go on and on with labels that pertain to me. Along with all of these other titles, I identify with having classic bladder exstrophy. Growing up, it was ingrained in me that Exstrophy was not who I was, this was something that was a part of my everyday life, and it was normal. I believe I had a normal childhood for the most part, except for a few bumps in the road…