Peta Eriksson

When Everything Changed: Ella’s Crohn’s Diagnosis.....

Three years ago, our world shifted. My daughter Ella, then just 10 years old, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease—a diagnosis that would explain so much, but also break our hearts.

Before we knew what we were dealing with, Ella was slowly fading in front of our eyes. She had always been on the slimmer side, but suddenly the weight just kept dropping. Clothes stopped fitting, her energy disappeared, and—what hit me the hardest—she wasn’t growing. Not in height. Not in weight. Just... stuck. As a parent, there’s nothing worse than watching your child shrink while everyone else’s seems to be flourishing.

And I didn’t see it soon enough.

The parent guilt is something I still carry. I ask myself: How did I miss it? I replay moments where I thought maybe she was just a picky eater, or going through a phase, or stressed with school. I didn’t know that underneath it all, her body was attacking itself. I didn’t know that Crohn’s disease—something I thought only affected the intestines—was active in her esophagus and stomach. It was everywhere, and it was relentless.

Getting that diagnosis was a strange combination of relief and grief. Relief that we finally had answers. Grief for the childhood she was about to lose—or at least the version we had imagined for her.

Now, at 13, Ella is managing her Crohn’s with 6-weekly infliximab infusions—a powerful biologic medication that we spend hours at the hospital getting into her system. She also takes a daily tablet of mercaptopurine, an immunosuppressant that helps keep her inflammation under control and reduce the risk of flare-ups.

The infusions and medication have helped stabilize her condition, and slowly, we’ve seen her start to grow again. It’s not linear, and it’s not easy, but it’s progress.

To any other parent out there feeling overwhelmed, confused, or questioning whether you’re doing enough: you’re not alone. Chronic illness isn’t fair, and it doesn’t come with a guidebook. But love, advocacy, and persistence go a long way.

Ella is not her disease. She is fierce, funny and creative. Crohn’s may be part of her story, but it will never define her.

And we’ll keep walking this road—together.