Jack Maye’s Rise Through Crohn’s and Football
It’s hard to believe Jack Maye was ever small or unsure of himself. Today, at 18 years old, he stands 6’1”, with a strong and athletic build, ready to play college football for St. Lawrence University. But years ago, this was far from the case.
“I was always the short kid,” Jack recalls. “I wasn’t the biggest or the strongest. Actually, I was pretty weak.”
In sixth grade, when most of his peers were in the middle of their growth spurts, Jack’s growth had slowed dramatically, and he was dangerously underweight. That’s when his family turned to Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock (CHaD), where pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Anthony Repucci began the work of solving the mystery.
After a series of tests, Jack was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition that causes abdominal pain, fatigue, poor appetite, and delayed growth. Crohn’s affects roughly 1 in 200 children in the U.S., and left untreated, can lead to intestinal blockages, malnutrition, and even life-threatening infections.
“CHaD first helped us figure out what was going on,” Jack says. “Then they helped us figure out how to treat it.”
That part wasn’t simple. Because Crohn’s affects everyone differently, finding the right treatment can be a long and arduous process, often involving a lot of trial and error. This was certainly true for Jack, who cycled through different medications, some of which worked briefly, only to lose their effectiveness. In the meantime, he endured flare-ups, fatigue, and persistent loss of appetite.
“I didn’t eat at all when I first started treatment,” he says.
Eventually, he began infusions of the biologic Remicade, which helped—for a while. He started gaining weight quickly, but not in the way he hoped. “I was growing out, not up,” he says. “Crohn’s delayed my puberty too. So I was a little chubby for a while.”
Then came another unexpected complication: psoriasis so severe his scalp began peeling. Socially, it was isolating.
“That was the hardest part,” Jack says. “Mostly, because I didn’t even know what was going on myself, so I couldn’t explain it to other people.”
After two years of red-light therapy and topical treatments to combat the psoriasis, doctors identified Remicade as the likely cause. When Jack switched to Stelara, things finally turned a corner for his Crohn’s and psoriasis. The medication treats both conditions, and for Jack, it brought relief on both fronts.
“I’m really close to mucosal healing now,” he says, referring to the absence of visible inflammation or ulcers in the lining of his intestines—a key sign that Crohn’s is under control. “I just do one injection a month. When I go to college, they’ll send it there. Easy peasy.”
Jack credits his CHaD care team, especially Dr. Repucci, for getting him to this point. “He helped me through so much. I was going to CHaD four or five times a year, and he really got me back on track.”
Throughout his litany of health troubles, Jack never gave up on football.
“Football has been the greatest journey of my whole life,” he says. “When I was younger, I didn’t think I’d ever play college football because of the obstacles I faced.”
This summer, Jack will suit up as quarterback for the West team in the Dartmouth Health Children’s NH East-West All-Star Football Game, a celebration of athleticism, perseverance, and CHaD’s role in both.
“I hope when I share my story, it encourages others to open up about theirs,” Jack says. “That kind of honesty brings people closer.”
Jack’s health journey also brought him closer to his family, who he says have stood by him every step of the way.
“My parents were really stressed when we didn’t know what was wrong,” he recalls. “They did everything they could. When I buzzed my hair to get rid of the scalp stuff, my dad did it too. That meant a lot.”
His dad has also been his number one fan on the field, driving him to football camps and helping him chase his dream. “They’ve just been super supportive. I really love them for that.”
To other CHaD patients still in the thick of it, Jack offers the same message he once received from Dr. Repucci.
“It gets better. It won’t always be hard. You’ve just got to keep pushing,” he says. “When other doctors first saw me, they didn’t think I’d grow taller than 5’7”. Now I’m 6’1”. And who knows. Maybe I’m still growing.”
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