gutsy walk unites community for ibd awareness and fundraising
this year's annual gutsy walk aims to raise $3 million towards research, awareness and supports for those living with inflammatory bowel diseases (ibd).
6 minute read
the annual gutsy walk has helped raise over $52 million for research, awareness, and advocacy efforts for those living with ibd.
crohn's and colitis canada
on sunday, june 2nd, 2024, those living with crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, along with their family, friends and other supporters, will walk five kilometres to help raise money for crohn’s and colitis canada in the foundation’s annual gutsy walk.
the walk, first introduced in 1996, spans coast to coast, with over 50 local communities participating. this year’s fundraising goal is $3 million, which will add to the roughly $52 million that the walk has raised since it began almost 30 years ago.
lori radke, president and ceo at crohn’s and colitis canada, loves the gutsy walk because of all it can do, both financially and socially, for those living with inflammatory bowel disease (ibd).
“when i see people fundraising and telling their story, it really inspires people to donate and to come out and support the event,” lori said. “that’s one of the biggest things i like about the gutsy walk. the fundraising is important and obviously a key part of it, but it really is also that community.”
ibd in canada
over 320,000 canadians live with some form of ibd. according to research, those numbers continue to multiply, and by 2035, it’s expected to rise to roughly 470,000 people.
with the numbers of cases rising, due in part to better medications that allow older adults to live longer with the disease, as well as the current increases in ibd cases in children, it’s never been more important to spread awareness and raise funds for the cause.
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“canadians have a high rate of crohn’s and colitis. we have one of the highest in the world right now. unfortunately, the trend is showing that there’s a growing number of people with crohn’s and colitis,” lori said. “we continue to fund research into the causes on a regular basis.”
living with ibd is challenging. the fact that a cause has yet to be identified and the vast array of symptoms, including abdominal pain, frequent need to use the bathroom, and fatigue, just functioning in daily life can feel like an uphill battle.
melanie kearley, a public health nurse who has dedicated her life to caring for others, is just one of those 320,000 canadians living with ibd. she was diagnosed with crohn’s when she was just 17 years old.
before being diagnosed, melanie spent six months experiencing the symptoms of the often-debilitating illness that affected her ability to participate in life and school.
“when you didn’t know what was wrong with you and having this extreme belly pain, going to the washroom 20 to 30 times a day and having to stay home because you’re so tired,” melanie said, describing her initial symptoms and experience with crohn’s disease.
“i was a pretty good student, i think. but my teachers would call home and ask my parents if i was staying up really at night, (asking) ‘what’s going on.’ i was falling asleep in class.”
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it wasn’t until she was hospitalized the day after her high school graduation that she was finally diagnosed, and the start of her journey with crohn’s began. in 1989, when melanie was diagnosed, information wasn’t as readily accessible as it is today with the internet and social media.
she had to use what was at her disposal at the time so that she could go into things informed and ready to change what was needed so she could manage her life-long illness.
“i lapped up all the information, all the pamphlets they gave me. i learned everything i could about crohn’s disease (because) if i had to live with this illness for the rest of my life, i wanted to learn about it,” melanie said.
using the gutsy walk to address stigma
people living with ibd don’t always like to speak about their condition due to the nature of symptoms and the often stigmatization of the disease based on those symptoms. according to research, people feel humiliated due to their illnesses, and this can have a severe impact on their mental health.
with events such as the gutsy walk, that stigma can be lessened, if only by a little bit, because of how it brings people with ibd together in a safe place to be open about their condition and speak freely about how it impacts them and their lives.
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“there’s quite a stigma of people (not wanting) to talk about their conditions, and i think gutsy walk helps open up the conversation,” lori said. “when you see somebody else you know speaking with a microphone about their experience, it makes you feel more comfortable telling your story.”
melanie counts herself lucky because of the familial and clinical support she’s received since being diagnosed.
she also understands firsthand how difficult it can be to open up about a condition when the primary symptom is something everyone is taught to stay tight-lipped about—bathroom habits—and how powerful being in a community with others who experience the same things can be.
“you can have the support of your family and your husband. but they still don’t really get what’s going on there, right? even though they’re super, super supportive to sort of talk to us, somebody else who has crohn’s or colitis, i found that very helpful,” melanie said of her experience with support groups and ibd communities she has been a part of.
the gutsy walk’s goal: community and a cure
for almost three decades, the gutsy walk has brought people together who live with or are somehow touched by ibd. the country-wide event has created 60 organized walks, but it has also sparked togetherness among people who live in areas without established walks.
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“i have friends and family who walk with me. we don’t have a gutsy organized walk in my community, so i just do it myself,” melanie said. “because i’m in this little, small community in the northwest territories.”
not only do people who live with or love someone with crohn’s take part, but sponsors and corporate organizations are also dedicated to increasing awareness and funding around ibd and the canadians affected by it.
lori, who did the gutsy walk in vancouver last year and will be participating in toronto this year, loves how many people from different walks of life get involved.
“it’s neat to see some of the corporate teams. it’s a way to engage their staff around a cause and bring people together,” she said.
while awareness, community, and dismantling the stigma surrounding ibd are all important aspects addressed by the annual gutsy walk, the funding aspect comes down to one primary purpose: to help fund research to eventually find a cure.
“i started doing the gutsy walk last year, and i do it because i’d love for there to be a cure for crohn’s and colitis,” melanie said.
every year, crohn’s and colitis canada raises more money in the hopes that the funds will help them get closer to finding better treatments or, in the best-case scenario, a cure through their funding research efforts.
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while lori acknowledges that while there is something to celebrate and they have come a long way, they’re not quite where they want to be just yet.
that’s why participating in and learning about the gutsy walk and ibd is vital for canadians with and without the disease.
“i have mixed feelings about it because i know there’s a lot to celebrate because we’ve accomplished a lot,” lori said. “but we also still have a lot to do, and we still need support. we still need people increasing awareness. we need to be advocating more to the government and raising more funds … so we’re not done.”
“people say, ‘oh, another 50 years,’ and i always say i hope we’re not around in 50 years. i hope, by then, we’ve found a cure, and i’m out of a job.”
there’s still time to register or donate to 2024’s gusty walk mission. if you wish to participate or donate, you can do so on the gutsy walk website.
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