I have some insanely exciting news to share on behalf of the Youth Advisory Council members - drumroll please...............................
On May 19th - World IBD Day - we will be launching our book! Think Chicken Soup meets CCFC pamphlets meets incredibly resilient and inspiring stories. So basically think AMAZING. And after all, World IBD Day is the perfect time to add to your IBD library. We are all so excited about this book, and we hope that you are too. This book will be the first of its kind, and I can only imagine how much of a difference such a book would have made when I was first diagnosed at age 12. The contributers to the book have shared their fantastic, determined, brave, and awe-inspiring stories. We are proud to be the vehicle to get their stories to you.
But that’s not it! (I feel like Bob Barker, only my show would be called “The Medication is Right”) You have a chance to win a free copy of the book. How, you may ask? Simple! Register for the Heel n Wheel (HnW) in your area - find all the information for your chapter at http://www.heelnwheelathon.ca/EN/index.html . This year, we are challenging The Gutsy Generation to mobilize into teams, use your Facebook to get friends and family involved! It’s super easy to get registered online for the HnW - for proof, check out my team page (which I set up in five minutes, I promise) at https://secure.ccfcfindthecure.ca/ParticipantPage.aspx?L=2&CCID=95&PID=14220&GC=GTv2 . Not only will the HnW in your chapter be fun, raising awareness, and active - but it is also a great opportunity to check out our book in person! And besides, if you raise $1,000 or more, you will also be entered to win an iPad!
And because we’re SO EXCITED about our book, we’re going to be sharing quotes from the book with you and counting down together to World IBD Day. Email us your team HnW page and your team story at thegutsygeneration@ccfc.ca so we can show the world how much the youth care and contribute to supporting the CCFC and finding the cure.
Ready for a taste of the book? Here is a quote from a story written by yours truly: “One day in the student government room, I was venting about my illness and the immense blood loss and the obvious pain that comes with it. After a long pause, one of the guys cleared his throat and asked if I was talking about ‘girl bleeding.’ I laughed, assuring him that Crohn’s wasn’t the same as a period, but it also made me angry – why don’t people know about IBD? The thought raced through my mind – there is so much left to change about how we perceive IBD.”
I cannot wait to be able to hold the book - we have been working very hard in order to not only raise awareness, but more importantly to support each other and give one another the strength to make it up the uphill endless battle that is IBD. We are counting down the days until we can share the entire book with you, so be sure to watch out for more quotes and exciting HnW updates!
Get excited, get counting, get registered, and get going - World IBD Day will be here before we know it.
Jennie + the YAC
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