For those who’ve never dealt with a serious medical condition, it may seem counterintuitive to be thankful for the experience, but that’s just the attitude Liam Erickson is carrying with him into Scarborough High School’s graduation ceremony on Sunday.

Erickson, 19, missed what would have been his senior year of high school after undergoing multiple surgeries in the fall of 2013 and then the spring and summer of 2014.

In early summer of 2013, following his junior year of high school, Erickson became severely ill with complications due to ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease of the intestine that is similar to Crohn’s.

The symptoms are not pretty, and some people have diarrhea between 10 and 20 times a day. Because of this, people with severe ulcerative colitis often lose a lot of weight and become weak and unable to do many everyday activities.

This is what happened to Erickson. By the time his condition was diagnosed and he’d had surgery, Erickson had lost more than 50 pounds. The first treatment was a drug called Remicade, which did not offer any relief.

That’s when it was decided that Erickson would need surgery to remove his large intestine. Before that happened, however, he tried to go back to school at the start of his original senior year.

But, he was gaunt from weight loss, would get dizzy when getting up from a sitting position and had a hard time catching his breath just going up and down the stairs. Plus he required numerous bathroom breaks.

Erickson had his first surgery on Oct. 8, 2013, just a few days after one of his uncles died from a brain tumor. Erickson was unable to go to the funeral and was so malnourished that he required 14 days of intravenous nutrients before he could be operated on.

Erickson is the oldest of four children, and with his uncle dying, he didn’t want to bother his family with his condition. He said the symptoms were manageable at first, which is why he waited a full month before telling his mother, a nurse, that something was wrong.

“I didn’t want to go to the doctors because I knew something was wrong and I didn’t want to get bad news. Plus, I hate needles,” he said.

After recovering from surgery, Erickson felt much better, although he was fitted with a temporary colostomy bag. He said the worst thing about his illness and wearing the bag was his loss of dignity and being stuck at home so much of the time.

“The whole thing was really kind of disgusting and gruesome,” he said. “And it was difficult to keep my dignity.”

Erickson said his friends and family were extremely supportive, particularly his mother, Mo, who works at Maine Medical Center.

Following his surgery, it was too late for Erickson to go back to school and complete his senior year, so the plan was for him to accompany another uncle, Tom Toohey, on a round-the-world sailing trip. Unfortunately, after getting a good start in Panama, Erickson developed complications off the Galapagos Islands and was forced to return home – alone.

After getting back home safely, Erickson went through two more surgeries, which were designed to get him off the colostomy bag and allow him to go to the bathroom normally. Although he still has not gained back all the weight he lost, Erickson is now completely healthy again.

Prior to his illness, Erickson was an indifferent student, he said. He didn’t mind attending school, but academics also were not his strong suit. But, all of that changed due to his illness and his inability to attend school.

Heading into this school year, Erickson said his goal was to “totally kill it. I was so excited and so, so thrilled to be back at school. When I couldn’t go, I found there was nothing I wanted more.”

What made this year even better, is that Erickson’s younger brother, Nate, is also graduating from Scarborough High on Sunday. The Erickson family also includes dad, Paul, who is a clam digger; Thomas, a junior; and Lillian, who is in eighth grade.

Although graduating alongside his brother is great, Erickson said, the real cake topper is that he will be attending college, something he never thought of doing before his illness. In the fall, Erickson will attend the University of Maine at Farmington and his goal is to become a school guidance counselor.

“I’d never been a great student, but with my illness, I really took a huge step forward. I even made the honor roll for the first time,” Erickson said. “I just really turned it around in terms of school.”

He credits his newfound academic success to the help he’s received from Tim Walker, a guidance counselor at Scarborough High, as well as to his new attitude of being more appreciative and thankful for all the good things in life.

Erickson said Walker has been “just awesome” and said Walker went out of his way to make his transition back to school “as smooth as possible.” It’s because of Walker that Erickson wants to become a guidance counselor himself, he said.

For his part, Walker said he’s been impressed by Erickson’s “strength of character” and said Erickson “never complained or felt sorry for himself, which is certainly admirable.”

He added that Erickson is “really a wonderful young man, who is very caring and thoughtful and always looking out for others. He’s very unselfish and just a unique young man.”

Walker said what’s also great is that Erickson “didn’t throw in the towel, which would have been easy to do. Most kids would not be willing to do a fifth year of high school, but he came back strong and pushed himself to do the best he could and create new opportunities for himself.”

He said that Erickson “really managed the situation as well as could be expected and as a result of his illness, he takes nothing for granted, which is unusual for a kid his age.”

Walker also praised Erickson for “being comfortable in his own skin and for being a true individual. Kids his age are usually very self-conscious, especially about their appearance, but Liam is just so comfortable with who he is,” which is why he could easily appear in public with his colostomy bag.

In addition to Walker, Erickson said that Assistant Principal Ray Dunn has also been “very encouraging” and helpful throughout this past academic year.

When he crosses the stage Sunday to get his diploma, Erickson said he’s likely to tear up because it’s an accomplishment that now means so much more than it would have a year ago.

What he’s learned from this experience, Erickson said, is that “you never know what could happen. ‘The sick kid’ is not a label I ever wanted or ever thought I would have to deal with, but still I wouldn’t change a thing.”

As a result of his illness and recovery, Erickson said he’s now more confident that he can face anything life may throw at him, but he’s also “more accepting and super thankful.”

He added, “I am much more understanding and tolerant now because I’ve learned that you never know what someone else is going through.”

The ultimate lesson he’s learned is that “someone always has it worse.”

Liam Erickson, right, is graduating from Scarborough High School Sunday. Here he poses with his uncle, Tom Toohey, prior to the prom. Courtesy photo