Sharing Their Stories: Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis Celebrates Moms
NEW YORK, May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whether they are patients themselves or caregivers, mothers are the lifeblood of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) Take Steps walk program. Take Steps is CCFA's largest fundraising program which raises awareness for the more than 1.6 million American adults and children affected by inflammatory bowel diseases. The funds raised through Take Steps helps support patient programs, enhance professional education efforts, and propel critical research for cures of these debilitating digestive diseases.
"As the mother of a son with Crohn's disease, I know firsthand how difficult it is to see your child suffer from IBD," says Sherry Rosenfeld, Vice President, Take Steps Campaigns. "It affects the entire family and is heart breaking. Getting involved in Take Steps not only provides a support network, but it helps you feel like you are taking back some control when so often these diseases make you feel helpless."
There are more than 140 walks across the country and there is still time to participate in a spring or fall walk near you. To find a walk near you, visit here. Rosanne, Angela, Lisa and Liz are just a sampling of the thousands of courageous mothers who are walking – and making a difference – this year.
Roseanne
Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2006, Rosanne lived in constant pain for years beforehand. Despite having a strong support network, it took a long time for her to come to terms with her diagnosis. That was until 2010, when Rosanne attended her first Take Steps walk in New York City. Rosanne has been participating in walks ever since, raising more than $12,000 to help fund cures for IBD, and will be taking steps for the first time with her five-month-old son, Ryan, by her side at this year's walk.
"I worry every day that my son will develop IBD,"Rosanne said. "In fact, my biggest fear is finding something wrong when changing his diapers, even at his young age. But that's why programs like Take Steps are so important to me. I am walking not only to find a cure so that my son has a strong, healthy mom for years to come--I am walking for the next generation. Even if I don't see a cure in my lifetime, I want my son to live in a day when there is no Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis."
Angela
Angela has spent much of her life surrounded by inflammatory bowel diseases. Her late husband, Jody, had Crohn's disease and passed away from complications of the disease when he was 33. In 2012, her son Austin was diagnosed with the same disease. That same year, Angela participated in her first Take Steps walk in Eastern Maryland.
"There is nothing harder for a mother than seeing your child sick and in pain and not being able to do anything about it. When Austin was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, I was devastated. The 12 years I had with my first husband opened my eyes to what a devastating and silent disease it can be," Angela said. "That is why I started participating in Take Steps- I want to give my son the future his father never had. For me, Take Steps is a day of gratitude- gratitude for the support network we have because of CCFA, gratitude for the advances that have been made in the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and gratitude for the opportunity to keep Austin's father's memory alive."
Lisa
Lisa was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was 30. She tried antibiotics, steroids, and many other medications to manage her disease, but was faced with the realization that surgery was necessary to adequately treat her Crohn's. After having a section of her intestines removed, her friends looked for ways to help her recover from the surgery and cope with having a debilitating digestive disease. That's when Lisa found Take Steps and began raising money to help find cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Last year, with the help of a reproductive endocrinologist and in vitro fertilization, Lisa gave birth to her first child, Jackson, and will be participating in Take Steps with him by her side.
"We Take Steps because we never want our son to have to see his mom in the hospital or to receive his own diagnosis," Lisa said. "We hope he never has to learn the word 'Crohn's.' So we continue to raise awareness. We continue to raise money. We continue to walk in hopes of finding a cure."
Liz
Parenting can be challenging sometimes and when you have IBD some days can be harder than others. Daily life consists of planning outings and playdates around bathrooms, scheduling blood draws close to baby check-ups and having to use the bathroom with a crawling baby.
"In my new role as a parent, I can now find common ground with other individuals who have Crohn's disease or UC and raise children," Liz said. "Participating in Take Steps gives me hope that I will be around, and healthy enough, to see all of our son's milestones. Seeing people show up and fundraise to support friends and family members who suffer from these diseases makes me continue to dream that a cure will be found soon. The walk and support groups are great places to meet others who are in, or have been in, similar situations with these diseases."
Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive track, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, weight loss and fatigue, and many patients require numerous hospitalizations and surgeries.
About CCFA
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CCFA's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram or Twitter.
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SOURCE Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
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