Leamon finding faith, balance in new normals of Crohn’s disease

Riverside's Izzy Leamon battles with Crohn's disease, a lifelong digestive condition that affects just 1 in every 1,600 people in the United States. He was diagnosed with the condition in late 2022.

Izzy Leamon doubled over, placed his hands on his knees, and threw up everything he’d eaten that day.

It was a blazing hot afternoon during the 2022 football season. Riverside’s then-sophomore wide receiver had just finished a conditioning practice with the Warriors. After endless running, the sun beat down on his tired brow. It all just came out.

Riverside head coach Matt Rochester drew a logical conclusion.

“I figured he’d just overworked himself,” said Rochester. “Izzy’s always been that kind of player, someone who will go until he absolutely can’t go anymore. He gives 110 percent always.”

Rochester recalled a story from an earlier summer competition circuit. After a June tournament with the Warriors, he noticed Leamon limping back to the team bus.

Leamon told his head coach his foot might have “a tiny blister” on it. Once back at Riverside, Rochester sent Leamon to the team trainer out of precaution.

“He tells me that he thinks there’s a tiny blister on his foot. So I’m like, ‘Okay, we’ll get you looked at when we get back to campus,” said Rochester. “We get back to the trainer, Izzy pulls off his sock, and it’s like, three huge blisters combined into one, and it’s bleeding profusely.

“His foot was covered in blood. But to him, that wasn’t a problem. He played through it the whole time. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have even gotten treatment.”

That’s just who Leamon was, Rochester explained. He never complained of pain or let on that he was hurt.

So when Leamon’s post-practice upchucks and sickness became constant, Rochester knew something was wrong Leamon hadn’t simply overworked himself. It wasn’t the heat.

Leamon could tell it wasn’t normal, either.

“It was like I couldn’t even finish one round of easy conditioning. I couldn’t finish a single rep in practice sometimes, because I felt so bad, so sick,” said Leamon. “I had no idea what was wrong with me.”

Leamon habitually threw up. He ran 99 or 100-grade fevers after almost every practice. His stomach was on fire. His throat burned even hotter. No matter what Leamon did, he was constantly feeling sick. For weeks on end, it continued.

“Seeing your kid out there hurting, in pain, feeling sick all the time, it’s a horrible feeling,” said Nyrobi Leamon, Izzy’s dad and Riverside’s defensive backs coach. “You could just see the impact it was having on him.”

Nyrobi and Marsha Leamon — Izzy’s mother — took him to the doctor soon after his symptoms worsened. They were determined to identify the problem.

WEIGHING HEAVY

To Izzy, in a strange way, it was sort of a relief. At least he finally understood what was happening to him.

His doctor ran several tests before delivering the diagnosis.

Izzy was suffering from Crohn’s disease.

“When I finally got diagnosed, it was like a breath of relief,” said Izzy. “But at the same time, it was kind of stifling. It shook me a little bit.”

Izzy spent countless days and hours in medical care in late 2022 after receiving his Crohn's diagnosis.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. In addition to the symptoms Izzy was already experiencing, he soon began suffering from chronic bleeding — particularly in the mouth. During class, Izzy said, he would touch his finger to his gum and notice blood on his fingertip.

“I’d feel something in my mouth, and then I’d touch it, and blood would randomly be coming out of it. I couldn’t control it,” said Izzy. “Some days, I couldn’t even finish school.”

Another symptom of Crohn’s disease? Dramatic and rapid weight loss. For Izzy, that meant dropping from 155 pounds to 125. Maintaining a healthy weight felt impossible. Izzy’s energy was empty. Weakness overtook his body. Day-to-day tasks increased in difficulty.

Yet for as much as Crohn’s drained Izzy physically, it took an even larger toll on his mental health.

He missed the back half of his sophomore year as he tried to learn how to battle his condition.

“It was heavy. I felt like I was letting down my teammates,” said Izzy. “I wanted to be out there. I wanted to be there for them but couldn’t. That really hurt me.”

THE NEW NORMS

After catching his fifth touchdown of the evening, Izzy was mobbed by teammates. He helped lead Riverside to the championship at the Battle for the Blade 7-on-7 tournament at Christ Church on July 17.

Izzy — a senior now — has settled back in. Almost two years removed from his Crohn’s diagnosis, he’s learned to manage his condition.

He’s cut out processed foods from his diet. Izzy eats nothing that could trigger his symptoms — sweets especially. Chocolate, cookies, and cake are off the table, he says.  He also takes an injection every two weeks that keeps his intestines from becoming inflamed.

Izzy’s also learned to go easy on himself at practice and listen to what his body tells him. He works hard, but he doesn’t overexert himself.

“It’s impossible not to be proud of how he’s handled everything,” said Rochester. “For a 16-year-old kid at the time, having to go to all these doctor’s appointments and make all these changes to his lifestyle, that’s not easy. But he was willing to do absolutely anything it took to get back on the field.

“That says a lot about who Izzy is.”

Leamon's teammate and fellow wide receiver Mikkel Skinner lifts him after Leamon's touchdown reception in Riverside's 49-7 win over Travelers Rest on Aug. 18, 2023.

As a result of Izzy’s perseverance and determination, he returned to the field even stronger in his junior year.

Now, headed into his senior season, Izzy is playing the best football of his career.

He prays his journey can help others — and bring awareness to those in the lifelong struggle with Crohn’s disease.

“I hope my story inspires others [with Crohn’s disease] to work hard and continue living life their way, even though it may be hard,” said Izzy. “Don’t let Chron’s stop you from living your life. Work hard, love your family and friends, praise the Lord, and simply live.”

Izzy’s motivated and ready to lead Riverside to glory in 2024. The senior pass-catcher is thankful to be out there with his Warrior teammates for one last ride.

Two years ago — as Izzy’s own body unsuccessfully fought to tear him down — this was all he prayed for.

“Sometimes, while all my sickness was going on, that’s what kept getting me through,” said Leamon. “I knew that I had to get back out there with my teammates.

“Even when my body felt weak and I was on my knees, feeling too weak to get up, I’d find the strength. I knew I had to get back on my feet. I knew I was doing it for them.”