Cheryl Ebbinghaus

2009 Ina Brudnick Award Recipient, East Region

Cheryl Ebbinghous (seated), with her family. She offers this advice to others, “Don’t give up activities you love or be afraid to try new things because of your ostomy."

As a child, Cheryl Ebbinghaus was no stranger to intestinal diseases. Her mother, Jude, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis during her pregnancy with Cheryl. Jude’s illness was not a legacy she wanted her daughter to inherit, but at age 11, Cheryl began experiencing the familiar symptoms and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Shortly after diagnosis, Cheryl underwent ileostomy surgery. While complications from her illness led to many more surgeries, hospitalizations and home procedures through her teens and early twenties, amazingly, Cheryl still managed to graduate from high school and college in four years each. Currently a graduate student at Bank Street College of Education in New York, studying to become a child life specialist to help sick children and their parents develop coping skills, Cheryl’s passion to help others knows no boundaries. She has traveled twice to Jamaica to clean up schools and bring food and medical supplies to the homebound.

The constant supports in Cheryl’s life have been her family, friends and local ostomy support groups. Unexpectedly, her illness has enabled her to be a role model for her fiancé as he battles his own disease - melanoma.

Today, Cheryl, 24, of Groton, CT, is participating in a child life internship at Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital. She offers this advice to others, “Don’t give up activities you love or be afraid to try new things because of your ostomy. You can live a full happy life after surgery, one filled with endless opportunities.”