2009 Ina Brudnick Recipient, South Region 
When Tyler Kalbac of Miami, FL, started high school, his stand-out athleticism won him positions on the varsity baseball, soccer and football teams. He excelled on the field, but was thrown a curve ball in the spring of his freshman year, when he experienced a baseball injury that required nasal reconstruction surgery. A month later, on the road to recovery, Tyler began experiencing pain and cramping and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis shortly thereafter.
His severe symptoms left him unable to play sports his sophomore year, which devastated Tyler. Continued flare-ups led Tyler to undergo ileostomy surgery that winter.
Today, Tyler, 17, a senior varsity player, has rebounded and is back on the sports field as baseball team captain, kicker and safety for the football team and goalkeeper for the soccer team. Wanting to reach out and help others facing similar diseases, Tyler organized a rock-climbing fundraising event “Climb-4-Colitis” that raised $9,000 for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research. He also participated in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge half-marathon fundraising event in Miami this year, where he was recognized as an “Honored Hero” and was the keynote speaker at the pre-event pasta dinner.
Now looking towards college, Tyler’s dream is to become a gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon focusing on intestinal disease research. “I have made a remarkable recovery and I want to encourage others facing ostomy surgery to never give up,” says Tyler. “Having an ostomy doesn’t mean having to live a sedentary life – you can do anything!”
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