Dillan's Story

Memories captured by Eye for it Photography

Tiny Light Dillan is a brave little four year old who has a fighting spirit.  He loves to race, dance, play with his cars and trains and laugh with his family.  He is quick to smile, even after feeling pain and he likes to be silly, even when he is at his sickest.  Dillan loves superheroes and is an ardent protector of his little sister Sophie.

Dillan was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease at three weeks old, although the illness was evident from the day he was born.  This condition affects the large intestine - the nerve cells necessary to enable a normal bowel movement have not developed.  Over three surgeries, Dillan’s disabled colon was bypassed and he received an ileostomy which releases his waste and allows time for the nerve cells in his colon to develop.  Hopefully in the near future, he will have surgery to reconnect his intestines and ideally continue life as a normal little boy.

Now in preschool, Tiny Light Dillan struggles to understand why he has an ostomy but is otherwise doing well.  His parents await his next surgery and hope that will be his “last surgery ever”, though some children with the disease often suffer residual health problems.  His mother says, “My dreams are that he understands what has happened and helps spread awareness and knowledge, and that he keeps loving the way he does.”

Written by Angela Funk