Fighting For Lucas

My goal is to raise awareness and money to support patients and their families who are affected by bowel and liver diseases. Several of my family members have suffered from bowel and liver diseases, including stomach and bowel cancer, celiac disease, eosinophilic disease (an uncommon gastrointestinal disorder), and biliary atresia (a disease of the liver and bile ducts).

Only a few months after I moved to New Zealand for my PhD studies in Freshwater Ecology at the University of Canterbury in 2015, my two-year-old nephew, Lucas Goeller, received a life-saving liver transplant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, where my family resides. Although I could not be physically present to support my family during Lucas' difficult medical journey, his courage and spirit impacted my life in New Zealand in a very profound way.

Lucas and my other family members have faced their medical challenges with courage, love, and perseverance, motivating me to confront life’s challenges with a hopeful and positive attitude. I am proud to train and participate in the 2016 UCSA Charity Fight Night.

All monies raised through this effort go directly to the Bowel and Liver Trust, a New Zealand charity working to beat gut disease. The Bowel and Liver Trust focuses especially on education and research to promote early detection of diseases.