My name is Maggie Baldwin and I am currently at sophomore in college majoring in nursing with a minor in biology.
I love going to the beach and swimming in the ocean, playing soccer, and spending time with friends. One thing people don’t expect to hear about me though is that I have Crohn’s disease and further more, an ileostomy.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s about nine years ago and since then have gone through many obstacles because of it. The biggest obstacle occurred my junior year of high school when my G.I. doctor told me I needed to have a resection of my colon and ileum. About a week after this surgery, the connections made in my intestines broke apart and I wound up having an emergency surgery. A few days later I woke up to my brand new ostomy.
Although my ostomy has caused some trouble and has given me a few embarrassing moments, it has been more of a blessing then a curse. Everyday I am thankful for it because it has given me the opportunity to actually enjoy life and be able to do things I have never done before. It has also opened up doors for me I never expected, like being able to model for companies like ConvaTec, Stomaplex and Comfizz!.
It has made me more open and confident, being able to make YouTube videos all about dealing with the ostomy and the disease that gave me it.
Most importantly, though, it has made me happier.
Without my ostomy I never would be able to do all the things I do now and have such a fantastic support group. Because of this, I have made it my mission to not only raise awareness for ostomies, but to also give support back to those who have given it to me.