2010 Great Comebacks® Award Recipient, South Region
“It was the success stories that kept me going when I was sick, so to be able to do that for someone else is a dream come true.”
When David Barger was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 19, he was a full time sophomore in college. He tried his best to keep up with classes and social obligations, but ultimately had to withdraw for the semester and return home. At home, his parents were his rock, helping him cope with his illness and finding personal stories of others who had triumphed over the disease, while his friends provided much needed escape through humor.
With his spirits lifted, David was confident that he could take on the challenges that lay ahead. The next year and half passed without any major complications, but slowly the symptoms returned. David began having accidents in class and while out with friends, which ultimately left him afraid to leave his house. Then, as fate would have it, his safe haven turned into his nightmare when the toilet broke. With no working toilet in the house, David decided to use the field behind his apartment to relieve himself. While he was outside, the sky opened and rain began pouring. “That night I truly wanted to die to escape the unbearable pain and shame,” recalls David.
With determination to succeed, David forged ahead and earned his degree. He continued to live his life the best he could, but his condition continued to worsen. Wanting a better life, he opted for an internal pouch, but during surgery doctors discovered David actually had Crohn’s disease and required an external stoma.
At first, David found it difficult to cope with a ‘bag,’ but again he found comfort through his family and friends, including former gradeschool classmate Sylvia Protho Hebert, a 2009 Great Comebacks® Award recipient whose Crohn’s-related appearance David had ironically teased as a child. His mother who, along with his father, had always been one of his greatest supporters, sewed covers for his pouch. “Even towards the end of her life, she was encouraging, telling me that I could accomplish anything I wanted,” said David. “After surgery, I began to love life again.”
Today, David, 43, lives in Panama City, FL with his wife Holly and sons, Blake, 14, Garrett, 11 and Luke, 5. Although dealing with stage III arthritis due to his Crohn’s disease, he makes time to counsel others with intestinal diseases. “It was the success stories that kept me going when I was sick, so to be able to do that for someone else is a dream come true.”
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