It's me again!! Except this time my website isnt purple and green. Wonder why? Read on....
Ulcerative Colitis.
These are two words that up until a few years ago you may not have heard. I hadn’t! And truth be told, I wish I still hadn’t….. Those two words changed my life.
In the fall of 2006, right after I had my middle son, Parker, I got very ill and was hospitalized. I have almost no recollection of my 7 day stay, and spent 8 weeks recovering after that. I lost 30 pounds including half of my blood supply. Blood and iron transfusions paired with massive doses of steroids saved my life and I still take massive doses of medications that keep my UC at bay, which unfortunately have ill effects on my body otherwise. To say it was a miserable experience would be the understatement of the century. I was VERY lucky to have wonderful family members take care of my newborn (Parker), my 3 year old (Jacob), but most of all, ME!
Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the intestines. It, along with Crohn’s Disease, is one of two diseases in the family of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. As many as 1.4 million Americans have IBD; that number evenly split between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease. Even though there is no cure at this time, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America’s (CCFA) research and education programs already have improved the health and quality of life of people with these diseases. People like me can live a fairly normal life with the medications founded by the CCFA.
We do know that Ulcerative Colitis tends to run in families. Studies have shown that up to 20 percent of people with Ulcerative Colitis will have a close relative with either UC or Crohn's disease. This genetic factor scares me to death. We need to cure these diseases before my children have a chance to be effected, we just have to. I would rather be hit by a bus than have my children suffer what I have had to endure. I can’t let that happen and need to be involved in this fight.
I’m running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 5, 2010 as part of the CCFA’s Team Challenge. Team Challenge is an organization that provides mentors and coaches to help everyday people like myself become marathon runners. The first moment I read about Team Challenge I knew I had to do it. Helping others by fundraising and running is one of my life’s passions. Many of you know that I have done many similar fundraisers with Team in Training. The idea is the same, except this time it’s personal. It helps Me! In return, I agree to raise a minimum of $2,950 that goes toward helping cure these Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
So how can you help? Honestly, I CAN’T do this on my own. I CAN train every Saturday morning at 6:30 am for the next 4 months. I CAN host fundraisers and do everything in my power to raise this money. I CAN take precious time away from my loving and supportive family to make this goal happen. But I cannot meet these numbers on my own. If you can, please make a donation to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in any amount you feel comfortable. No donation is too small, and every penny helps in finding a cure and your donation is 100% tax deductible. If you work for an employer who has a matching program even better! Checks can be made out to ‘The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’. And as always, your good wishes and positive vibes to sustain me in my training will also be graciously accepted. I TRULY appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.
Sincerely,
Jessica | 
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