Sahar SaadatRichelle Wagner started losing her hair in grade 11.
She had “moon face,” where her cheeks became swelled, rounded and chipmunk-like. Dark circles started to form around her eyes due to lack of sleep. She didn’t communicate with anyone. Other students either ignored her, or bullied her and made cruel comments.
They didn’t realize it was the sickest she’s ever been.
Wagner has Crohn’s disease: an illness that causes inflammation in the digestive tract, which can cause abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.
This was her reality every day. But now imagine that while playing basketball.
“It was very hard for me,” Wagner said, looking back at her high school basketball career while nursing the inflammatory disease.
“Wake up, sleep, play basketball, go to sleep … but you’re young and suddenly you can’t do stuff you’re used to.”
It was the one time in her life where she considered quitting basketball — the sport she loved and played since grade 4. Although she was being scouted since grade 10, she didn’t want to play college hoops.
Wagner called it a “hidden disease,” which is why others didn’t realize she was sick. The only reason why she received treatment so quickly was because her dad was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and her grandfather as well.
He supported her, having experienced the disease first-hand, and gave her one crucial piece of advice: suck it up.
“He was always there when I needed him,” Wagner said of her father’s support.
“But he toughened your skin. He made sure nobody was going to hurt you, because you are strong enough to deal with it.”
Wagner stuck with basketball and battled through her disease as member of the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings basketball team. Her persistence throughout her hoops career while maintaining her academics led to her being awarded the fourth annual AbbVie IBD Scholarship in August.
The scholarship, which is awarded by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and AbbVie, supports Canadian students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
In a typical week, Wagner logs 25 hours of basketball while balancing a full academic course load — a difficult proposition, especially with an immune system in flux.
“If you get the common cold, I get the common cold way quicker and way worse,” Wagner said, as she explained what it was like to get sick during the basketball season while taking classes.
In her first year, Wagner fractured her foot. In her second year, she tore her ACL. She then tore her other ACL in her fourth year. She said the injuries might have been caused by the side effects of Prednisone, a steroid drug that prevents the release of substances in the body that causes inflammation.
But because of her adaptation to the disease, and determination to fight through injury and hardship, Wagner combatted Crohn’s disease’s repetitive symptoms.
“When we read through Richelle’s submission we were amazed at how much she has accomplished at such a young age, while maintaining her health and her passions,” Mina Mawani, President and CEO, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, said.
“At the end of the day, the goal is to provide support and help bright students like Richelle rise above the challenges they face because of ulcerative colitis and achieve her dreams.”
That dream for Wagner is pursuing her degree in Clinical Psychology at the Augustana campus. She made the choice to stay with basketball when she could have quit. But remaining positive and using the strong support from her coaches, professors and father helped her continue with her future in basketball and academics.
With the AbbVie Scholarship and her prospective psychology degree, Wagner said she hopes to motivate others to do the same.
“When people get diagnosed, they might think they don’t have a choice anymore,” Wagner said.
“You get to decide different ways. I didn’t want to play basketball … instead I make the choice to stay. It’s all mental. You don’t have to completely remove yourself or have everything taken away from you.”
