Posted by chris keck on December 22, 2020
My brother was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when he was in high school. This was before ImproveCareNow and he had almost no access to resources or connections. He felt alone and I felt paralyzed by my inability to help him. Today, it’s my job to think about the thousands of patients and families living with IBD every day, and how to connect them with each other and the information and resources they need.
In the years since my brother’s diagnosis, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve learned that when we share what we know and support each other, patients and families can reclaim their agency and improve their lives. We've learned that when we share openly about IBD, we can end stigma and isolation. And we've learned that when we all work together, we can reshape chronic illness care with improvements and research that are driven by the needs of folks who access these services. We've learned that we are better together!
"...resources provide patients with actions that we can take toward bettering our quality of life, as well as, our current and future care." - Quint, PAC member
Today, there are more than 30,000 patients and families at care centers participating in ImproveCareNow, and only about 2,500 are currently members of our ICN CIRCLE. Signing up for CIRCLE let’s us know that you are interested in being directly connected with IBD resources & information, stories of hope, and an inclusive and supportive community of people who understand life with IBD.
Connecting thousands of patients and families to each other is a big task and it can only happen if we do it together. Many members of the ICN community have made the choice to ensure everyone they know gets connected. Like Dr. Julie Bass from Kansas City who said that she shares ICN resources with patients and families, “to promote feelings of connection and empowerment; to give a sense of community and hope for a healthier way to navigate living with a chronic disease.”
I am asking for your help today. Your help to connect 10,000 more patients and families to the ICN CIRCLE in the next 10 months.
I am asking you to start by taking one action - ask 5 people you know (patients with IBD and their family members and caregivers) to join you in the ICN CIRCLE so they know they are not alone. So they know they can be part of an inclusive and supportive community with parents like Lisa from Las Vegas who said, “ImproveCareNow has provided my family with vital resources and connections that help us feel like part of a community that has similar questions and the same goals we do.”
We are better together!
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