Our Stories

When he was nine years old, Chad experienced horrible symptoms that led to his hospitalization and a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. The experience was traumatic, isolating, and made Chad feel lonely. But through Camp Oasis, our co-ed residential camp exclusively for kids with IBD, he found himself in the one place where other kids understood his struggle. When his mom picked him up, she found Chad in tears, because he was so sad to leave. Your ongoing support will help other kids like Chad have great experiences at Camp Oasis.

Ayla is one of the youngest patients we’ve ever seen. Her parents needed to change her diaper at least 15 times a day when she was only three months old. Early in her life, she could only consume her food through a tube in her stomach and had to visit the hospital every seven weeks to have an IV infusion. But thanks to your support, today she is 10 years old, and her disease is largely in remission. Instead of spending time in the hospital, she loves to dance. “It makes me so happy,” she told us. “And it allows my mind to go somewhere else when things have been stressful.”

Michael has endured 16 expensive surgeries, losing most of his intestines, and has spent up to 12 hours a day hooked up to an IV just to get nutrition since he was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 11. But thanks to the support he has received from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and his friends and family, he is much better now after receiving an intestinal transplant. Your support today will help us offer support to other children and their families.

When I was diagnosed with IBD in 2004 I had only just briefly began to navigate my own sexuality. The summer I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis was right before I was meant to start high school. I ended up starting with a 6 month delay due to complications that resulted in emergent surgery and a hefty rehabilitation period. Not only did I have to navigate a shiny new diagnosis and an ostomy bag at the age of 14, but I was also wading through the confusion about my sexuality on top of that.

Patients with Crohn's disease may experience debilitating pain and fatigue in addition to other symptoms. Isabelle shares her story about learning to manage pain, stress, and fatigue while battling IBD as a student.

I never thought I would be someone who would be a part of a clinical trial. Doctors can only provide so many answers, but there was still a chance that this trial could help me, and in the process, I would be contributing and helping the future of IBD.

New Yorker Eitan Kling-Levine shares his battle with ulcerative colitis and insurance-mandated step therapy.

Teresa MacDonald, of Tacoma, Washington, opens up about her fight against Crohn's disease and why she became an advocate for step therapy reform.

Robert Woodman, a patient advocate from Holliston, Massachusetts, shares his battle with insurance-mandated step therapy.

Melissa and Justin Whirledge of Atlanta, Georgia were devastated when step therapy delayed treatment for their son's ulcerative colitis. The Whirledges advocated for Georgia to enact a step therapy reform law, and are now calling on the U.S. Congress to do the same.

Ross Maltz, MD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist based in Columbus, Ohio. A Crohn's patient himself, he understands the pain that families feel when insurance-mandated step therapy delays quality treatment for a loved one with IBD. That's why he's raising awareness of step therapy reform laws in his state, and calling for the U.S. Congress to pass step therapy reform.