

Stevens

Four years ago, Ryan Stevens found himself diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Profound lethargy and chronic diarrhea left him withering away to about 120 pounds. He arrived at the Cleveland Clinic in 2011 for three surgeries that would ultimately remove five feet of his colon.

Tomorrow, he's going to swim across Lake Erie, from Long Port, Ontario, in Canada to Free Port Beach in Pennsylvania. It's part of a $10,000 fundraising goal that will benefit Crohn's and colitis research at the Clinic, ABC reports.

Many are somewhat familiar with Crohn's disease, but the details of the diagnosis and symptoms are largely under-reported in most mainstream media. Here's a brief overview, though the ABC report includes much more context and background to Stevens' history: