Glastonbury Student Is An 'Honored Hero' for Annual Take Steps Walk

Danny LaManna, a Glastonbury sixth-grader is an ‘Honored Hero’ and he’s hoping to grow community support for the 2015 Greater Hartford Take Steps Walk that will raise awareness and money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

When he was seven, Danny was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when he was in the second grade but he has not let it hold him back. He will be walking in the 2015 Greater Hartford Take Steps Walk on Team Danny & Sam to raise awareness and money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Danny has been named an Honored Hero for the May 9th Walk.

Danny’s diagnosis came as a surprise. In 2011, he was experiencing symptoms such as mouth sores and stomach pain and was not growing like he should have been at his age. After multiple tests and procedures, Danny was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Danny’s parents, Mark and Katie, recall “it was a shock when Danny was diagnosed since he was an athletic, energetic kid, not typical for someone with Crohn’s. Danny has always been a really positive kid and he never complained, and it was awful to think that he was in such pain. We knew then and know now, though, that if anyone could handle it, Danny could.”

With help from doctors and the support of family, Danny is able, as he puts it, “to lead a mostly normal life.” Like any child, he loves playing sports — soccer, basketball and tennis, as well as video games, and spending time with his family and friends.

The one thing that isn’t typical for an 11-year-old is the number of medications he must take daily and the frequent blood tests to keep his disease in check and make sure he is getting enough nutrition. Danny hopes to continue to inspire other kids suffering from this incurable disease to stay positive and continue their lives like anyone their age. As Danny puts it, “I know that I will have to deal with having Crohn’s Disease until they find a cure, but I have not let it stop me from doing what I love to do.” To that end, Danny will be throwing out the first pitch at the New Britain Rock Cats Game on Saturday, April 18. He’ll have a great cheering section rooting for him as more than 100 CCFA supporters will be in attendance to generate awareness about CCFA and Take Steps.

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is a family-friendly community walk dedicated to raising awareness and mission-critical funds for cures for digestive diseases. The Greater Hartford Take Steps Walk is Saturday, May 9 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. Registration and the festival start at 9 a.m. and the walk is at 10:15 a.m. Danny said he walks because he “hopes that one day we will find a cure so that kids like me won’t have to deal with it their whole lives.”

Danny’s goal is to raise $2,500. To help him achieve that, people can make a donation through his Take Steps webpage: http://online.ccfa.org/goto/DannyLaManna

The Greater Hartford Take Steps Walk is sponsored by Abbvie, Connecticut GI, Jefferson Radiology, Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut, Shipman & Goodwin, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and XL Group.

For more information on how to get involved with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Greater Hartford Take Steps Walk, visit www.cctakesteps.org/greaterhartford or contact Mary Kate Doherty at 203-376-4336 or mkdoherty@ccfa.org.

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