Meet our 2026 New England Take Steps Honored Family!

For most teenagers, life is measured in school days, sports, and time with friends. For Jonathan Viliott, it has also been measured in doctor’s visits, uncertainty, and a diagnosis that changed everything.

This year, the Viliott family will be recognized as the Honored Family at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Take Steps walk, sharing Jonathan’s journey with ulcerative colitis to bring awareness, understanding, and hope to others facing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

One of the defining moments in Jonathan’s journey came during an early hospital stay, when he was critically ill, and his medical team strongly recommended surgery to remove his colon. Having already failed a round of biologic treatment, the outlook was uncertain, and the decision felt overwhelming for both Jonathan and his mother, Lisa.

Taking a quiet moment together to process their options, Lisa recalls the clarity that came from her son. “He looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘I can fight this, Mom.’”

At just thirteen years old, Jonathan’s resolve cut through the fear. Faced with choosing between a path of surgical certainty without guarantees and her son’s determination to keep fighting, Lisa made a decision she has never questioned. 

“I chose my son that day,” she said. “And I’ve chosen him every day since.”

“Watching your child go through something you can’t fix is indescribable,” said his mother, Lisa Viliott. “But Jonathan has shown us what strength really looks like. He keeps going—even on the hardest days—he's my personal superhero.”

Hosted by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, the Take Steps walk brings together families, friends, and supporters united by a shared goal: to fund research, improve treatments, and move closer to a cure. For the Viliotts, participation is deeply personal. What began as a way to cope has grown into a commitment to advocate—not just for Jonathan, but for the millions of others living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The Take Steps walk, hosted by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, will take place on Saturday, June 6, at North Point Park. Community members are invited to join the Viliott Family and others in the fight against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Sign up here or support their team: Team Goose.