Fighting bowel disease after discovering four strangers are half-sisters

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — When four strangers took a DNA test in their home, they didn’t expect to find new family members.

“I’ve always wanted a sister and to find out that I have multiple sisters is absolutely unbelievable,” said Nicole Bambanyan.

After undergoing these tests, Anna, Nicole, Katie, and Christine learned that they were half-sisters from the same sperm donor.

They quickly became friends and later found out they had another thing in common. All four have ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. It is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, two conditions of which are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Anna Nevarez of San Diego, Calif., said, “I remember texting them, ‘Does anyone else have inflammatory bowel disease?’ Because this is what I’m dealing with. It is.”

Friday was World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day, which was meant to raise awareness about the disease, which affects about 5 million people.

Ulcerative colitis makes life difficult for all of them.

“It’s excruciating to eat out, you have to keep track of where the restrooms are, and it’s very personal and embarrassing to explain to people,” Bambanian said.

But after they were connected, they weren’t alone in their struggles. They shared medical advice and support.

“It was amazing and a real blessing,” said Christine Geffen of Sun Valley, Idaho. “It’s all about having a sister to support and talk to.”

Feza Remzi, Ph.D., director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at New York University Langone, is treating three sisters. He performed j-pouch surgery on two of them to remove the colon and rectum.

“The patient’s quality of life has improved dramatically compared to what it used to be,” Remji said. “If there is no urgency or need for incontinence, that’s a big deal.”

The four are currently fighting together.

“The amount of love we have for each other is unbelievable,” Bambanyan said.

They’re more of a support group for each other than sisters.

Doctors say there is a genetic link to IBD, but studies show that nearly 80% of patients have no relatives with the disease.

Stephanie Stahl

Stephanie Stahl is an Emmy award-winning health reporter. She can be seen daily on her CBS3 Eyewitness News and The CW Philly.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos