Heartland Hero
Andy Jablonski and the Short Bowel Syndrome Foundation featured in the Lincoln Journal Star
Each year, the Lincoln Journal Star publishes a “Heartland Heroes” section recognizing people making a difference in the Nebraska community. Andy Jablonski was chosen as one of eight honorees.
The paper shared the story of Andy’s life with Short Bowel Syndrome and the work of the Short Bowel Syndrome Foundation — raising local awareness for a rare condition that is often invisible to those outside it.
Lincoln Journal Star article
Read the Heartland Heroes feature on Andy Jablonski and SBSF.
This feature was an opportunity to raise awareness for the Short Bowel Syndrome Foundation and to share more about Andy’s beginnings — a part of the story that is not always easy to talk about, and not always fully remembered in detail.
When stories like this appear, they put lived experience into a different perspective. Some readers were surprised to learn Andy was “sick inside.” That reaction captures something many people with SBS know well:
Short Bowel Syndrome is often an invisible illness.
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What others may not see Unless someone is acutely ill, others may have no idea what is happening with nutrition, hydration, lines, output, or recovery. |
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Why telling the story helps Public stories create language and recognition for a rare condition that is otherwise easy to overlook. |
Recognition is meaningful — and this coverage was a milestone for early foundation visibility in Nebraska. The hope was simple: that it would be one of many successes for SBSF, and that more people would learn what Short Bowel Syndrome is and why community support matters.
Andy remains open to discussing his story with people who want to learn more.
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SBSF is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Community recognition like Heartland Heroes helped introduce the foundation’s mission to neighbors who may never have heard of Short Bowel Syndrome.