Ian Evan Swarr is a kind hearted boy with a great smile. Unlike most children his age, he is looked upon as a hero. When born, Ian was diagnosed with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). His condition causes his skin to be as fragile as a butterfly’s wing which can blister at the slightest touch. Seventy percent of his body is an open wound, very vulnerable for infection. Due to this, he is wrapped in bandages from his neck down in hopes to try and keep the skin as healthy as possible. Throughout the years, this disease has eaten away at his bones, crippling him and making a wheel chair his only means of transportation. Due to scar tissue, Ian is unable to straighten his legs, lift his arms above his head, stick his tongue out and his toes are fused together. He is not able to ride a bicycle, play hopscotch or even kick a soccer ball like normal eight year olds. His esophagus and mouth have sores in it which limits the food he is able to eat (only soft foods and liquids). Although Ian endures constant day to day pain, complaining is not common for him. Instead he embraces life and constantly keeps his chin up.

“I admire that young man. I whine about having to get out of bed at six in the morning and as you can see, he has so much more to deal with,” explained Mellanie Lynn Hardos, a member of the Washington Boro community.

Ian has a passion for emergency services due to the fact that they rescue people from dreadful situations. His room is filled with red fire trucks and he carries around a fire pager where ever he goes. Ian had always dreamed to become a fire fighter, and the Ephrata Area Rescue Team made that wish come true. They asked him to be a member and he accepted with excitement. After getting to know the Swarr family more, the team realized that Ian was not able to use his wheel chair inside his home due to there not being any space to maneuver it. Therefore, they decided to start a project in which they would build three rooms (treatment room, bed room and bathroom) especially designed for Ian’s needs. The pricing of this task is averaged out to around $125,000. The company has only raised about six percent of that total.

A few other things about Ian:

• Attends Central Manor where he takes place in a normal classroom.
• Family are his pride and joy.
• He enjoys Spring and Fall most.
• Loves art and also music.
• His grandmother is his all time favorite person.
• Rachael Ray is one of his favorite celebrities.