Okanogan resident Ellen Rodgers remembers her sophomore year as the worst of her life. Too sick and tired to do anything, she was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in January, 2008. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are incurable, painful and debilitating digestive diseases that affect over 1.4 million Americans, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. These illnesses can cause severe complications including colon cancer, and may require hospitalization and surgery. Today, she is looking forward to her senior year, just like any other teen, thanks to regular infusions of remicade – for her a “miracle drug.”
For her senior project she wants to help raise awareness about Crohn’s disease and help improve the quality of life for others infected with this disease. She will be participating in the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis, a national evening walk in Seattle, WA on July 18 where she will join others impacted by these diseases. This is sponsored by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and is the nation’s largest event dedicated to finding cures for digestive diseases. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.
You can learn more about the disease by visiting Rodgers’s web site at http://online.ccfa.org/goto/ellen. She wants to raise awareness and is trying to reach as many people as possible, including those from other states and countries. So if you see this, and if you know someone in another state or country, please spread the word, leave a comment on her blog or send her an email at elrodgers_5@hotmail.com letting her know where you’re from You can also make donations at her web site to help support the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation invest in research, education, and support.
© Copyright 2006 by North Cascades Broadcasting, Inc
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