Inspiring Stories and Ideas From Others Living With an Ostomy

Founder of Ostomy United - United States

Meet Ted Vosk

Homeless for the better part of four years as a teenager, Ted Vosk developed ulcerative colitis w...

Fashion Model

Meet Jearlean Taylor

As an accomplished fashion model—and a double ostomate—she’s spent nearly 20 years camouflaging h...

Teacher, Principal

Meet Walt Brilhart

A life-long educator, Walt Brilhart has always taken care of others – as a teacher, principal, ex...

Meet George Moore

When people meet George for the first time, they’re surprised to find out that he once lived with...

Ostomysecrets®

Meet Sarah Biggart

A woman’s first wedding anniversary should be a special time. For me, it signaled a journey that...

Newspaper Reporter

Meet Ted Taylor

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis around the age of 15, which helped put an end to a somewh...

Archery Champion

Meet Ronald Nicholson

It was late Summer 2014, age 74, when I first learned that I had bladder cancer. Urostomy surgery...

Living with an Urostomy since 2014

Non-profit Director

Meet Ryan Decker

Although he had developed stomach problems in his late teens, Ryan Decker was otherwise a healthy...

Compounding Pharmacy

Meet Tracy Bejbl

Denial can be a dangerous path...particularly when it impacts health. I am a 55-year-old woman wh...

Pharmacy Technician

Meet Deelia Moore

From a young age, I always knew that I wanted to serve my country in the Air Force. My father is...

Jewelry Artist and Bridal Industry Expert

Meet Randie McConnell

Living with an Ileostomy since 1984

World Traveler

Meet Ival Secrest

Living with an Ileostomy since 1978

Grandmother

Meet Ellen Hepp

Living with an Ileostomy since 1987

Student

Meet Riyad Abdalla

Living with an Ileostomy since 2017

Author and Speaker

Meet Makeda Armorer-Wade

Through sharing her story, Makeda aims to provide inspiration and hope to as many Crohn’s Warrior...

Personal Trainer & Wellness Accountability Coach

Meet Lee-Ann Watanabe

Living with an Ileostomy since 2015

Systems & Software Engineer, Retired

Meet Bill Brown

Living with an Ileostomy since 1965

Oncology Nurse

Meet Meghan Tierney Hultman

At 23, Meghan started to notice unusual pain and bleeding when she went to the bathroom, but trie...

Founder of Ostomy United - United States

Meet Ted Vosk

Homeless for the better part of four years as a teenager, Ted Vosk developed ulcerative colitis w...

Fashion Model

Meet Jearlean Taylor

As an accomplished fashion model—and a double ostomate—she’s spent nearly 20 years camouflaging h...

Teacher, Principal

Meet Walt Brilhart

A life-long educator, Walt Brilhart has always taken care of others – as a teacher, principal, ex...

Adventurer

Meet Rob Hill

The 23-year-old amateur runner and adventurer, who completed his first marathon in the second gra...

Park Ranger

Meet Bill O'Donnell

An active man who loves the outdoors, Bill O’Donnell’s ileostomy didn’t stop him from forging ahe...

Singer, Songwriter & Speaker

Meet Dana Marie Gatziolis

Dana began to explore what it was that truly brought joy and love into her life. Ultimately, she...

Ostomysecrets®

Meet Sarah Biggart

A woman’s first wedding anniversary should be a special time. For me, it signaled a journey that...

Volunteer

Meet Lee Thrash

Lee Thrash was about to graduate from high school in 1997 when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Dis...

Doctor

Meet Kent Cullen

Living his life to the fullest – traveling, fishing, playing sports and overseeing a successful s...

Board of Directors

Meet Albert Mignone

In addition to kicking up his heels and traveling the globe with his wife, Linda, Albert has rema...

United Ostomy Association of America

Meet Abby Ryan

Abby Ryan was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was only 14 months old, which resulted i...

Heavy Equipment Operator

Meet Perry Swisher

FAP—familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome—is a rare and inherited disease that leads to colon c...

Elite Athlete

Meet Jeff Kleman

The Long Journey from Bladder Cancer to a Happy, Healthy Life At the age of 37, Jeff Kleman was i...

Retired Engineer

Meet Lawrence "Dutch" Keen

Have ostomy surgery or die. I think I made the right choice. Before retiring from engineering, I...

Coach and Trainer

Meet Sarah Russell

In 2014, I became the first person with an ileostomy to run the Himalayan 100 – a five-day, hundr...

Newspaper Reporter

Meet Ted Taylor

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis around the age of 15, which helped put an end to a somewh...

Meet Gillian Knafelc

When Gillian Knafelc began experiencing the symptoms of ulcerative colitis when she was just 10 y...

Meet Nicole Kilgore

With the help of family and friends, Nicole Kilgore has kept a positive attitude about life and h...

Cosmetologist

Meet Valencia Hardaway

Valencia Hardaway isn't one to shy away from hard work. In fact, she loves a good challenge. Vale...

Hockey Referee

Meet Patrick McKinney

Patrick was thankful when he met his second wife, Michelle, whom he calls his soul mate. He credi...

Physician

Meet Herman Morchel

In 1984, at age 31, Herman Morchel was a successful advanced-technology engineering executive in...

Doctor

Meet Joe Salisz

At the age of 52, after 20 years as a practicing urologist, Dr. Joe Salisz found himself on the o...

Meet Dianne Hattaway

It’s not easy to hear that you have stage-four colon cancer, and even harder to be told you’re ha...

Nursing Instructor

Meet Linda Pasto, RN

After 10 years of flare-ups, hospitalizations and weight gain from medication due to Crohn’s dise...

Adventurer

Meet Randy Henniger

Throughout the previous year he had experienced severe pain and bleeding and his wife encouraged...

Dancer

Meet Stephanie Crane

Stephanie remembers growing up in Minnesota with mixed emotions—dancing competitively more than 2...

Living with an Ileostomy since 2010

Non-profit Director

Meet Ryan Decker

Although he had developed stomach problems in his late teens, Ryan Decker was otherwise a healthy...

Restaurant Business

Meet Louie Mikedes

I was 12 years old in the winter of 1962. After spending the holidays with serious stomach pain,...

Meet Phyllis Rovner

“That colon has to come out.” That was the consensus from a series of doctors I’d seen over nearl...

Meet Ginny Hamisch

When I was ten years old, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and suffered for two years. I s...

Ostomy Product Specialist

Meet Matt Deal

Matt Deal has been helping people living with an ostomy for almost 5 years as an Ostomy Product S...

Sterile Processing Tech

Meet Thomas Exler

I’m currently a consultant and board member of the Pittsburgh Ostomy Society, as well as a non-pr...