My name is Max Andrews and I have Crohn's disease and have battled with it for eight years. I recently had a major surgery in which I had 15cm of my small intestine, a few inches of my colon, and my appendix removed.

There is no cure for Crohn's and post-surgery there is usually a 50% chance of remission. Well, I have a 70% chance it will actually get worse and I will have more problems and surgeries down life's path.

Crohn's is responsible for the lowest valleys in my life. There were many times when I thought it was over for me and that this was all in vain. What I held on to, which got me through, and still gets me through all this, is hope. Hope that this will all have meaning and purpose to it. Hope is what makes me persevere.

I'm also about to complete my MA in Philosophy getting ready to start my PhD. It's my hope that this will help me pay my medical and school bills so my wife and I can continue on with life in hopes of greater things before us.

My name is Max Andrews and I have Crohn's disease and have battled with it for eight years. I recently had a major surgery in which I had 15cm of my small intestine, a few inches of my colon, and my appendix removed.

There is no cure for Crohn's and post-surgery there is usually a 50% chance of remission. Well, I have a 70% chance it will actually get worse and I will have more problems and surgeries down life's path.

Crohn's is responsible for the lowest valleys in my life. There were many times when I thought it was over for me and that this was all in vain. What I held on to, which got me through, and still gets me through all this, is hope. Hope that this will all have meaning and purpose to it. Hope is what makes me persevere.

I'm also about to complete my MA in Philosophy getting ready to start my PhD. It's my hope that this will help me pay my medical and school bills so my wife and I can continue on with life in hopes of greater things before us.