Meet Gary Glover

*Meet Gary Glover*	Gary Glover
	Gary Glover	Ten year old Gary Glover loves to play soccer and collect baseball cards, and he has an ostomy. Gary received his urostomy (or urinary tract diversion) a few weeks after he was born when doctors discovered that Gary’s bladder had not developed in a regular manner.
	Dealing with having an ostomy is now routine for Gary. He provides all of his own care and is proud of the fact that his parents, Edward and Marybeth, don’t have to do anything for him anymore except buy his pouches and make his doctor’s appointment once a year. What can be a bit more difficult is dealing with friends and acquaintances when they learn of his difference. Although Gary does not “show his ostomy around,” he is not ashamed or embarrassed about having one. If the situation arises when it is important for someone to know, Gary explains about his ostomy in a factual and upbeat way. Taking the time to do so helps the people who spend time with Gary to be more comfortable about ostomies. Gary encourages children who have had ostomies not to hide their condition. “Hiding can make other people think that there’s something wrong with you and that’s not it,” Gary says. He also emphasizes that his ostomy will not keep him from being a regular kid, exclaiming,, “Having an ostomy is never gonna slow me down!” Gary is featured in The Kids on the Block Program on Ostomy.

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