Owning Your Story: Sara Levitt inspires LaurenHill Students to embrace differences
It was an exciting morning on November 24 at LaurenHill Academy as approximately 200 Secondary 3 students gathered in the auditorium to welcome guest speaker Sara Levitt. This marked Levitt’s debut presentation on the Jackie Fisher Empathy Tour. Funded by the Jaclyn Fisher Foundation in collaboration with Inspirations News, the event took place in honour of Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month and in memory of Jackie.
An ostomy advocate who has lived with an ostomy bag affectionately named “Liv” for 17 years, Levitt holds a degree in Marketing and is a model, content creator, and public speaker. She breaks down barriers of understanding and acceptance by sharing her lived experience.
While describing her lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease, 31-year-old Levitt reflected: “Was it just life dealing me a really bad deck of cards or giving me an opportunity to become so resilient towards tough situations?”
The courageous encouragement she gave her younger self helped her grow an unbreakable strength, one that carried her through many challenging moments.
Through her presentation, Levitt detailed the mental and physical toll of living with a chronic illness, and how Liv helped shift her perspective from anger and embarrassment about “pooping in a bag” to deep gratitude for the device that keeps her alive.
As she shared her journey from hiding her body to embracing it, ditching the one-piece for a bikini on the beach and years later, the runway, Levitt is helping open doors for ostomy representation in fashion and beyond.
Her messages focus on self-love, perseverance, and the support that comes with speaking openly to people you trust. When Levitt finally shared her story with friends, she found inclusion. “Being met with their acceptance and understanding, because going poop in a bag on my stomach didn’t change what kind of friend I was to them, always sparked a happiness inside of me, showing more and more that I can be myself, difference and all.”
During a lively Q&A, students, who were captivated throughout Levitt’s presentation, responded with insightful questions, including how she keeps her ostomy clean, how she handles negativity, and even how to “bling” an ostomy bag.
Liv is what Levitt needed to survive Crohn’s disease, and because of that, she stood before students today with truth, humour, and a willingness to tackle difficult conversations about chronic illness, body image, and stigma. She reminded all of us that what makes us different can just as easily become our greatest source of strength. “Self-love doesn’t need to look perfect. It just needs to be honest,” she said in closing.
We extend a special thank-you to LaurenHill Academy, Andrea Dillon, Jamie Quinn and Victoria Della Cioppa for their collaboration in bringing Sara Levitt to the students.
Honouring Jackie
Despite being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as a child and later with cancer, Jackie remained resilient, forged meaningful connections with a heart full of love, pursued the good in all, and inspired others with her generosity and commitment to the global community. Inspirations News is honoured to carry Jackie’s legacy forward by sharing her message of kindness, empathy, and inclusion with students.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Jaclyn Fisher Foundation, Inspirations News is bringing real stories of resilience, kindness, and empowerment to classrooms across the Greater Montreal area.
