My name is Ewa (Eva) Agbaba Stanska. I am 35 years old. I am a wife to Milan Agbaba, the most wonderful husband in the world. I am a mother to two most amazing boys, Peter who is 16, and Oscar who is 10. I have the most perfect family and the most perfect life. I say that because I want you to know that I am a real person, and pancreatitis or pancreatic disease does not define me. Being sick is just one of the many roles that I have to play right now, and maybe forever, but I refuse to think that my disease is who I am.
I was born in Poland in 1984. I immigrated to Canada in 2001, at the age of 17. My trip to Canada was supposed to be just a two months vacation, but today is 2019 and I am still in Canada. I am split between the two countries, but I consider both of them to be my homes. I love them dearly and nothing can change that.
I have been fighting pancreatic disease, bile acid reflux, bile acid malabsorption, and other digestive problems since 2010. That is when things got the most serious. Since I have gotten sick, I still managed to complete my university degrees at the University of Western Ontario. In 2013, I graduated with Honors and Distinction, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Major in Philosophy and Major in Sociology. In 2016, I graduated with two Post Graduate Diplomas, one in Childhood and Advocacy, and second one in Childhood in the Justice System.
Being sick has been absolutely the hardest thing that I ever had to do, but I refuse to give up. I truly believe that as long as I am breathing and as long as my heart keeps beating, I am going to win this fight. Things are not over until I say they are over. At this point, I am just warming up.