In January 2017, Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. and eighth-grader Noah Weber founded Athletes vs. Crohn’s after being diagnosed with the chronic illness during their adolescent years. Their mission is ‘to raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis in the adolescent population and help children realize their athletic potential despite being diagnosed with a chronic illness.’
Recently, Nance Jr. collaborated with Athletes Brand and designed a t-shirt which is helping raise nearly $3,000 and counting for children diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints at The Optometry Practice of Dr. Alex Corbin Liu, Nance Jr. discussed his foundation, how people can get involved, and his message to those diagnosed with the chronic illness.
Dan Duangdao: You’ve spent your entire career raising awareness about Crohn’s disease. What led you to start your own foundation?
Larry Nance, Jr.: Just knowing what I went through as a kid and how kind of lonely it can be. It’s obviously not a very pretty disease or illness to talk about, so when you’re around people who are going through the same things, it makes you feel more comfortable and less vulnerable. That’s kind of the goal of it just to get people talking about it, normalize it.
DD: How can people get involved with your foundation?
LN: We have links on our site with various ways you can get involved and help us out, but we just got off the ground last year, so we’re obviously building more towards expanding and increasing memberships and roles. There are big things to come.
DD: What’s your message to those who are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease?
LN: You’re not alone. There are 1.6 million people in America that are going through the same thing and at the same time as you. Just stay tough, stay brave, and there’s nothing you can’t do because of Crohn’s.
During Nance Jr.’s visit, he made a lasting impact after spending time with seven-year-old Nathan, who has had to overcome health challenges himself. For Nathan, having a professional athlete like Nance Jr. who truly understands what he is going through gives him the confidence to pursue and accomplish his dreams.
When Nance Jr. was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 16 years old, he could not find too many athletes who were in his situation. Now, eight years later, he is using his platform to be there for children and help them realize their potential despite being diagnosed with a chronic illness.
To learn more and support Nance Jr.’s foundation, please visit Athletes vs. Crohn’s.
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