About Ellie

My name is Ellie Balakrishnan and I am a rising junior at Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, NC. I have a brother, Zachary, who is 14 years old and have three dogs, Mojo, Bella, and Cleo.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in December of 2011 after an upper and lower endoscopy at Duke Children’s Hospital. My symptoms presented as chronic belly pain accompanied by weight loss. Fortunately, my diagnosis was quick and I have been in remission since then.

All of my doctors have been fantastic. Dr. Tom Lin of Duke Children’s first diagnosed me. He has since moved to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio. I was blessed to next find a home at UNC Children’s Hospital under the care of Dr. Sandra Kim. With Dr. Kim, I was able to go into remission and remain there to this day. Dr. Kim recently moved to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio. I am currently under the care of Dr. Michael Kappelman at UNC Children’s Hospital.

I currently have my sights set on attending UNC with my major set on being a veterinarian. I like to volunteer for various charities and with local veterinarian causes.