13 May 2013 Fourth annual 'Take Steps' June 1
The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation is passionate about finding a cure and raising awareness of inflammatory bowel diseases.
On Saturday, June 1, more than 1,000 people will come together for the fourth annual Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis Walk at the Clinton Presidential Center Lawn in Downtown Little Rock.
The Walk – planned 5 to 7 p.m. – raises funds for research and education and recognizes Central Arkansas’ local honored heroes.
The Take Steps Walk will recognize Hope Ernhart of Benton and Angela Douglass of Sheridan as local honored heroes. Douglass, a middle school assistant principal, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1994, and Ernhart, 16, was diagnosed in 2010. Both are now in remission and doing everything they can to raise awareness and support others suffering from these diseases.
Crohn’s and colitis are in a family of abdominal maladies known as inflammatory bowel disease. More than 1.4 million Americans suffer from these conditions, with symptoms including chronic gastric distress, intense pain, ulcers and the threat of long-term hospitalization and surgeries. Even patients with few flare-ups face a lifetime of maintenance medication, from pills to injections and infusions. A third of new patients are children.
Ernhart, active in soccer, softball and basketball before her diagnosis, now volunteers each year to raise funds to find a cure. She is an example to other IBD patients, as she has become a strong state-level high school and competition swimmer. She hopes to use her athletic background to give back to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation by starting an annual 5K fundraising run.
Douglass was diagnosed in her first year of teaching, after suffering many months of abdominal pain and bleeding. She recalls that her first year of teaching was marred with hospital stays, separations from her child and near escapes from death. She says it was nearly 10 years before her Crohn’s disease was under control.
“There are days when I would prefer to stay home and pull the covers over my head,” she said. “However, I manage to survive one day at a time. My goal is to begin everyday with the hope of a permanent cure.”
Visit online.ccfa.org/littlerock to register or make a donation for the Take Steps Walk.
