This year World IBD Day is especially meaningful for our family as my sister is spending it in the hospital, recovering from surgery needed after a worsening of her Crohns disease.  This year, more than ever please join us and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation to #StepUp4IBD for World IBD Day 2020! During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more critical  to support IBD patients. Visit https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/WorldIBDDay and find out how you can help the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation  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.

The whole family joined in on our 2019 Team Challenge Turkey Trot, even our puppy Daisy : ) 
Thank you to everyone who supported this super fun Crohn's & Colitis Foundation fundraiser.  And if you missed the Turkey Trot, please consider donating on #GivingTuesday!  ​https://online.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/site/Donation2?df_id=30829&mfc_pref=T&30829.donation=form1&s_src=HQXF19M3DFXEDLXX&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fy19appeals&utm_source=HQXF19M3DFXEDLXX&autologin=true&utm_content=hero

Today, May 19, patients, advocates, friends, families, and health care specialists across the globe are raising awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) during official World IBD Day.  Join them by getting involved or making a donation to support research, patient support, and advocacy efforts.  Great ways to get involved:

Thanks to your donations of household items, clothing, and furniture we were able to completely FILL a 17-foot truck top to bottom!  We especially appreciate those who helped us load up the truck in the freezing temperatures, grandma for letting us use her garage, and MOM, who never drove a truck that big before but slowly and steadily got the load delivered to Savers anyway.  Thanks everyone!

Keep that New Years Resolution and start the year off with a clean slate by donating old clothes, household items, linens, and furniture to our first ever FUNDrive with Savers.  We'll be collecting items through the month of January and delivering them to Savers to convert your old stuff to funds for our cause.  

​Please email us at [email protected]  for our drop-off location in Concord, Massachusetts (grandma's garage).  

THANK YOU!

No one factor causes IBD. Instead, interactions between a multitude of factors appear to lead to IBD.  Genetic predisposition, certain environmentla factors, and imbalances of the gut's microbiome may combine to cause IBD.

IBD is more common in North America and Europe than it is in places like Asia and Africa.  However, since 1950s, IBD has been increasing all over the globe, suggesting that the adoption of more Western lifestyles may be contributing to the rise in IBD cases. 

So far researchers have found over 200 genes associated with a risk for IBD. 

TOO MUCH exposure to these environmental factors may trigger or worsen IBD:

• Pollutants
• Viruses
• Medications & Antibiotics
• Cigarette Smoking
• Higher Levels of Hygene
• Increased Stress

​

TOO LITTLE of these environmental factors may trigger or worsen IBD:

• Sleep
• Exercise
• Vitamin D/Sun Exposure

The microbiome includes the millions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in our gut.  Everyone's microbiome is different, depending on what microbes a person was born with, what they ate, medications taken, and the environment.  Ongoing research is helping to show that the microbiome is a key factor in whether or not a person with genetic susceptibility will develop IBD.

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, "Beyond Genetics: How we're unlocking the role of environmental impact on IBD," Under the Microscope, Fall 2017.