Thanks for joining us during Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week (December 1-7). Each year we are excited to do our part to raise awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This year, we decided to debut a collection of our Care Cards, which have hand-written messages of hope and support from members of our community to patients with IBD and their families. We invited everyone to show their love for these cards by liking and sharing them with others – to reinforce the message: You Are Not Alone!

PAC members, who regularly share the realities of life with IBD in their LOOP posts, put together a powerful set of side by side images and stories to help drive home the point that so many of the realities of IBD lay below the surface. PAC members alternated between sharing real-life “what I wish you knew” moments and reminders that other patients with IBD do not need to suffer alone.

It is the hope of ImproveCareNow and the PAC that our pictures and messages resonated with members of the IBD community, and encouraged them to make new or even better connections, building a stronger, more supportive and powerful network.

Here’s our recap of Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week 2017:

Day 1: The IBD club is not one that people are ever thrilled to join. But the upside is you get to be connected with many fierce and friendly individuals, like Bianca (co-chair of the Patient Advisory Council). Bianca has gone through a lot. She’s kept her head held high through it all. A big part of that is because of the support system she’s built – of people who care and people who understand.

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Day 2: IBD has a tendency to throw curve balls. When your world gets turned upside down by IBD, leaning on your support system for understanding, advice, company or even just some distraction – helps you keep fighting. There are parents and patients in ImproveCareNow who want to connect with you, not only to work toward the goal of getting kids with IBD better right now, but also to be there for you when you need them most.

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Day 3: Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week is a great time to ask questions to better understand how IBD is really affecting the people who live with it. Whether it’s your center’s coordinator, or your friends and family asking questions – be open and honest about what’s really going on. It’s important for them to know the truth about how IBD is affecting you, especially when they can’t always see it.

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Day 4: Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week is a great time to connect – to talk about IBD (either to learn more, or to educate others), and to find and give support. Nicki reminds us that if you’re seeking support, connecting with another person who also has IBD is so valuable because they really understand what it’s like, and through the PAC there are so many opportunities to learn how to open up about your IBD and advocate for yourself (and others).

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Day 5: Support systems are important, and they can include lots of different people – like Katie (a NP who cares for patients with IBD) or Becky & the PAC (who understand what you’re going through and can help you get through some really tough times).

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Day 6: IBD can feel scary and overwhelming. But there are many patients and families who have walked this path and can now walk with you (like Kim and Christian).

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Day 7: On the final day of Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week 2017 – we reminded everyone to reach out and get connected (because #youarenotalone) and to keep talking about IBD. After all, there are 51 more weeks in the year, where we can keep sharing, supporting one another and making things better together!

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