Doctor Manages Evans Crohns Disease in Time to Run Marathon

At first, Evan didn’t connect his severe bouts of abdominal pain with any serious illness. He had recently lost his father to kidney cancer and thought the pain was somehow connected to grief. But when his primary care doctor connected the dots and suspected Crohn’s disease Evan’s mother brought him to Mount Sinai’s Children’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program looking for solutions.

First Meeting with Dr. Benkov at the Mount Sinai Children’s IBD Program

At Mount Sinai, Evan connected with pediatric gastroenterologist, Keith Benkov, MD. Dr. Benkov remarks, “Crohn’s is a young person’s disease. It usually manifests in children, and the danger is that it can interfere with their growth. Evan didn’t have a lot of symptoms, just pain. But he was supposed to grow every year, and he wasn’t growing.” Evan was 16 years old, and he weighed just 81 pounds.

Under Dr. Benkov’s guidance, Evan was able to find the right medication and dosage to bring his symptoms under control and manage the disease. With the right treatment, Evan grew two inches and put on 24 pounds in six months. And with his new-found strength, he developed a passion for running.

Achieving His Goal

Following that passion led Evan to run the TCS New York City Marathon with Dr. Benkov and Team IBDkids. Evan was proud to have the opportunity run the marathon (a personal dream for him), while raising awareness and supporting the Children’s IBD Program at Mount Sinai. It’s a cause close to his heart. Now a thriving film school student, Evan remarks, “Without the care I received there, I wouldn't be able to lead the life I live today.”