Time Theft.... and who we are

I’m sitting here at work committing time theft (I promise it’s a real term in the corporate world) for a very important reason. Today the Youth Advisory Council to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (YAC and CCFC from this point on) is starting its Get Gutsy Blog. But I am getting ahead of myself. First, I should tell you who we are.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is the number one non-governmental funder of IBD research per capita internationally. That may be in part due to the fact that globally Canadians have the highest incidence rate of IBD (over 200 000 Canadians have one of the two diseases and it costs the Canadian government close to $2 billion annually). The CCFC’s main goal is to raise money for research so that a cause and cure are found, and there is a lot of research going on that will make that happen! However, aside from the large amount of research, the CCFC really wanted to get more youth involved, and so, the YAC was created.

I am one of 14 members of the YAC. We are a group of cross-Canadian youth between the ages of 15-24 whose lives have been affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Personally, I have ulcerative colitis. However, some of us have Crohn’s, and some of us have siblings or parents with an IBD. Whatever the reason, IBDs have had an impact on our lives so we are here to do something about it. (I mean, one of the most affected age for people being diagnosed is 15-24 , sooooo shouldn’t we be the ones getting involved and making a difference?) For the past 9 months our group has been working in different taskforces trying to find a way to reach as many youth as possible. We want you to get involved in each and every way possible. Whether you want to fundraise more, or you are newly diagnosed and want to meet some people who are going through the same thing you are, we have got something for you. And, we’re looking for more people to join our fantastic team. We’re accepting applications for the YAC until July 15th. Go to our website for more information http://www.thegutsygeneration.ca/EN/connect/yac.html

And if you have any questions about the YAC, contact any of us and we’ll get back to you asap! Meanwhile, stay tuned for our updates. They’ll be about research,events, funny life stories (we have many) and much much more. And if you have something to contribute, just let us know.
Cheers, and have a fantastic day.

Lesley Butler
YAC Representative,
Eastern Avalon