TAKE ACTION FOR

WORLD IBD DAY!

MAY 19, 2021

Throughout the month of May, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is working to increase awareness of and familiarity with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), educate the public about these diseases, and raise funds to support our mission of finding IBD cures and improving patient quality of life.

Join us and the more than 10 million people worldwide affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to make #IBDVisible for World IBD Day!

What are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis?

Known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system, causing abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss.

Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). In addition to the impact on the GI tract, in some patients, IBD may also affect the joints, skin, bones, kidneys, liver, and eyes.

What is World IBD Day?

World IBD Day takes place on May 19 each year to unite people worldwide in the fight against Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Organizations from 50 countries on five continents participate in awareness raising activities to shine a light on the debilitating nature of these chronic and incurable digestive diseases.

Through World IBD Day, we mobilize the IBD community in the United States to make #IBDVisible, along with our international partners.

There are a lot of ways you can make #IBDVisible. Click the links below or scroll down to see all the different actions you can take. With your help, we can move closer to realizing our vision of a future free from Crohn’s and colitis!

Get your World IBD Day T-shirt | Create a personal infographic | Watch our World IBD Day panel
Share stickers on social media | Play the crossword

Get your World IBD Day T-shirt!

Wear your support, and represent IBD patients around the globe, with our multilingual World IBD Day T-shirt. Shop Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis shirts now—a portion of sales goes to the Foundation!

Crohn's disease shirt

Indeterminate colitis shirt

ulcerative colitis shirt

Create your World IBD Day infographic

If you are an IBD patient, caregiver, or healthcare provider, you can help us make #IBDVisible by creating your personal IBD infographic and posting it on social media! It only takes a few minutes to create a shareable version of your or your loved one’s disease journey.

Make my infographic

Join us for a global discussion panel on May 19!

Join us for a special World IBD Day video chat on May 19 at 5 p.m. EST as we bring you perspectives from patients & providers around the globe! We’ll be chatting with Tessa Jean Miller (U.S.), Nordia Willis (UK), Rasheed Clarke (Canada), Jacinta Parsons (Australia), and Dr. Sara El Ouali (Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi) about how IBD is experienced worldwide.

Watch live

Add a sticker to your social media posts

Use our GIPHY stickers in your social media posts to make #IBDVisible for World IBD Day! Search for them using Crohn's, colitis, or IBD in Facebook Messenger, Instagram Stories, Snapchat, and more, or use them from the GIPHY website.

Find stickers

Show the world that you’re helping us fight for IBD cures

When you make a gift of $50 or more, we’ll send you an IBDVisible bracelet in appreciation for your special support. Supplies are limited, so please don’t wait!

Give now

World IBD Day

Take part in World IBD Day by testing your knowledge with our crossword puzzle!

Answer key

Across

1. On World IBD Day, organizations from 50 countries on five continents come together to raise awareness of IBD.

2. The Crohn's symptoms someone may experience depends on which part of the GI tract is affected.

3. Ulcerative colitis inflames the colon.

Down

1. Crohn's and colitis are incurable and chronic digestive diseases.

2. A fistula can form when inflammation causes sores, or ulcers, to form on the inside wall of the intestine or nearby organs.

3. Extraintestinal IBD symptoms can manifest in the skin, joints, and the eye.

4. Crohn's disease can affect anywhere along the GI tract from the mouth to anus.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!