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The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) will hold its first annual Guts & Glory Walk on Saturday, Aug. 4, at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs to raise funds for research, education and support services within the Rocky Mountain region. The CCFA is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases, collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), are painful chronic illnesses that affect up to 1.4 million Americans, including approximately 100,000 children under the age of 18. CCFA's mission is to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis through research, and to improve the quality of life of the children and adults affected by these digestive diseases through education and support. CCFA needs your help in achieving its goal.
My daughter, Dani Gonzales, who will be a senior at Grand Valley High School next year, is the Youth Ambassador for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of CCFA. Dani was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis just a little over three years ago. When we first received Dani's diagnosis, we had no idea what UC even was, or just how much it would affect her life.
We do not exaggerate when we say that CCFA saved Dani's quality of life. CCFA sent us a kit, explaining how to keep accurate and detailed notes of Dani's medical condition, so that her doctors could easily follow her disease. The Rocky Mountain chapter has twice sent Dani to Camp Oasis in California, which is a disease-specific camp. Here Dani met other kids with IBD, learned lifelong coping techniques, and got to experience a week without Mom asking if she took her meds. Every month we receive a newsletter keeping us abreast of the latest medical developments and helping us all cope with Dani's disease. And all of this has not cost us a dime - a dime we truly do not have. Even with health insurance, Dani's medical expenses (as all IBD suffers know) can be very expensive.
Therefore, Dani and our family have volunteered to organize the first annual Western Slope Guts & Glory Walk. In addition to raising funds for this worthwhile organization, we hope to raise public awareness of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Every person reading this article probably knows of someone with an IBD. These people may not have told anyone that they have one of these diseases. Traditionally suffers have not spoken about their disease because truly Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are not pleasant, and the symptoms can be embarrassing and humiliating to the sufferer. Only recently are sufferers coming out and publicly speaking about their disease. We are hoping that if a 17-year-old girl can stand up and say, "I have this truly ugly disease, but it does not define whom I am, I define the disease," that others will come out to the walk in support of all IBD sufferers.
And what a great time we will have at the walk. Breakfast for all walkers before the start will be provided by Grand River Hospital District and The Hot Strings Band will provide entertainment. Prizes will be awarded to every event participant.
Thanks to the following who have signed on as walk sponsors: Jerry and Mary Lee Mohrlang, Rifle Insurance Agency, Colorado Heritage Real Estate, Grand River Hospital District, Toby's/Anchor Drilling, and Battlement Mesa Company.
Start a walking team - challenge someone else to start a team. It's easy to register: online at www.GutsandGlory.org or telephone, toll free, 1-866-RMT-CCFA; or e-mail me or call me at 285-9740. The walk is short, between two and three miles, and it is in the morning before the heat settles in. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. Please join us in support of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, and encourage anyone you know with this disease to reach out and join the CCFA family - it has made a world of difference in the life of my child, and she is ready and willing to give support to other sufferers.
<I>Mary Moore's column, "Grand Valley News," appears every other Thursday. To contact Mary with a news tip, e-mail her at beatlesfan_309@comcast.net.
My daughter, Dani Gonzales, who will be a senior at Grand Valley High School next year, is the Youth Ambassador for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of CCFA. Dani was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis just a little over three years ago. When we first received Dani's diagnosis, we had no idea what UC even was, or just how much it would affect her life.
We do not exaggerate when we say that CCFA saved Dani's quality of life. CCFA sent us a kit, explaining how to keep accurate and detailed notes of Dani's medical condition, so that her doctors could easily follow her disease. The Rocky Mountain chapter has twice sent Dani to Camp Oasis in California, which is a disease-specific camp. Here Dani met other kids with IBD, learned lifelong coping techniques, and got to experience a week without Mom asking if she took her meds. Every month we receive a newsletter keeping us abreast of the latest medical developments and helping us all cope with Dani's disease. And all of this has not cost us a dime - a dime we truly do not have. Even with health insurance, Dani's medical expenses (as all IBD suffers know) can be very expensive.
Therefore, Dani and our family have volunteered to organize the first annual Western Slope Guts & Glory Walk. In addition to raising funds for this worthwhile organization, we hope to raise public awareness of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Every person reading this article probably knows of someone with an IBD. These people may not have told anyone that they have one of these diseases. Traditionally suffers have not spoken about their disease because truly Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are not pleasant, and the symptoms can be embarrassing and humiliating to the sufferer. Only recently are sufferers coming out and publicly speaking about their disease. We are hoping that if a 17-year-old girl can stand up and say, "I have this truly ugly disease, but it does not define whom I am, I define the disease," that others will come out to the walk in support of all IBD sufferers.
And what a great time we will have at the walk. Breakfast for all walkers before the start will be provided by Grand River Hospital District and The Hot Strings Band will provide entertainment. Prizes will be awarded to every event participant.
Thanks to the following who have signed on as walk sponsors: Jerry and Mary Lee Mohrlang, Rifle Insurance Agency, Colorado Heritage Real Estate, Grand River Hospital District, Toby's/Anchor Drilling, and Battlement Mesa Company.
Start a walking team - challenge someone else to start a team. It's easy to register: online at www.GutsandGlory.org or telephone, toll free, 1-866-RMT-CCFA; or e-mail me or call me at 285-9740. The walk is short, between two and three miles, and it is in the morning before the heat settles in. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. Please join us in support of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, and encourage anyone you know with this disease to reach out and join the CCFA family - it has made a world of difference in the life of my child, and she is ready and willing to give support to other sufferers.
<I>Mary Moore's column, "Grand Valley News," appears every other Thursday. To contact Mary with a news tip, e-mail her at beatlesfan_309@comcast.net.
