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By Tiffany Pakkala October 16, 2002

Last updated: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 12:11 PM EDT

Messiah College graduate Carissa Haston may not have eaten a meal since 1999, but she's still strong enough to pull together more than 800 people worldwide in an online support network she created for fellow sufferers of a rare disease called gastroparesis.

The college honored her with its 2002 Young Alumnus Award at a ceremony Tuesday after she developed the world's leading website for gastroparesis patients and founded the Gastroparesis Patient Association for Cures and Treatment (G-PACT).

The 24-year-old from Lewisberry first began dealing with gastroparesis in 1994. She started feeling nauseated when she ate and eventually couldn't hold food down. She tried medications, intravenous feeding, even a gastric pacemaker, which stimulates the stomach muscles. Finally, she had to give up food altogether in 1999.

For the first three years of her illness, Carissa says, "I was depressed. No more food, no more sports. Then I realized I had to cope because it wasn't going to go away."

She says her attitude was changed during a worship service at the college, when she decided to "start focusing on how to use (the disease) to help others and be a Christian testimony to them."

Website took off

Carissa had noticed the lack of resources available to people dealing with the disease not long after she was diagnosed. In June 2000, she designed a Web page that was intended to reach out to fellow patients. But she received more e-mails than she could keep up with. Her site evolved in just three months into an online support group, which has since become the largest existing online support group for people dealing with the disease.

To get help with the support group and offer more resources, She decided in the summer of 2001 to join forces with some fellow gastroparesis patients and start up an organization to assist others with the disease.

The G-PACT website addresses many of the mysteries and myths behind gastroparesis. There is a detailed explanation of the symptoms and possible causes of the disease, a list of doctor referrals, a listing of positive and negative side effects of different medications and explanations of surgical options.

The website also hosts an exchange for unused medical supplies, a newsletter called The PACT, products with the G-PACT logo, advertises upcoming fund-raising events including a car auction and a 5K walk, and features a monthly spotlight patient, who shares his or her personal story.

Doctor compliments work

Carissa's physician, Dr. Kenneth Koch of Hershey Medical Center, says that the site "has very accurate, solid medical information. (The site is) an incredible undertaking and, when you consider how she feels most of the time, it's even more incredible."

Carissa's latest treatment is a specialized catheter, called a "Hickman," which is permanently inserted beneath the skin near the collarbone. Fluids are injected directly into the bloodstream over a long period of time, supplying Carissa with 2,100 calories every day.

"With the Hickman, I can maintain my normal weight," Carissa says, adding that her weight used to bounce up and down. "I lost 30 or 40 pounds in 1995."

A 2000 graduate of Messiah College, Haston majored in art with a concentration in graphic design and drawing. She says her college years were "the best years of my life." Although she slept more than other students and her schedule was often interrupted with doctor and hospital visits, she says her "friends and professors were very supportive."

Koch says drug companies and doctors have shown an increased interest in gastroparesis. He adds that there is hope conditions may improve or go away for some patients.

If Carissa is able to eat again, the first meal she wants to tackle is a cheeseburger and fries.

Her future goals for G-PACT are to increase awareness both in the medical profession and among patients; to work with and offer financial support to research companies; to establish local support groups for patients; and to offer financial assistance to patients.

For more information, visit the website at www.g-pact.org or write to G-PACT, P.O. Box 197, Lewisberry, PA 17339.