Metro Detroiters to take steps to fight digestive diseases

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Metro Detroit Take Steps Walk is June 20

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Jackson Pype, 13, from Wixom is inspiring people in Metro-Detroit to participate in the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Metro-Detroit Take Steps Walk on June 20, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at Meininger Park in Royal Oak.

Jackson is living with Crohn's disease which combined with ulcerative colitis, are painful, debilitating digestive diseases impacting over 1.6 million American adults and children, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18.

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Five days after Jackson was born he began to show signs that something was wrong. It took many different doctors until he was three years old to determine he had Crohn's disease. After multiple ups and downs fighting and managing this disease Jackson is now a thriving and enjoying his life. Jackson and his family started to participate in Take Steps in 2011 to help support Camp Oasis (a camp for kids with Crohn's or Colitis). During his first walk he began to see the sheer number of people who are diagnosed with Crohn's and Colitis. He loves that his family & friends support him and CCFA through Take Steps and that the funds raised are to help find a cure and support those who have the diseases. He knows that someday there will be cures and he wants to be part of it.

Thousands of people will gather this spring at nearly 80 walk sites across the country to join the fight against Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The walks are family friendly festivals with activities for everyone including bands, games, activities, food and a leisurely walk through a community. Take Steps has raised over $60 million for research and patient support services and is committed to transforming the lives of those impacted by these diseases and leading them to a brighter future through well-funded, cutting-edge scientific research.

For more information on how to get involved with Take Steps and to find a 2015 walk site nearest you, please visit www.cctakesteps.org or contact Sarah Arminiak at 248-737-0900 Ext. 6 or sarminiak@ccfa.org.

Thank you to Beaumont Health, Colon Rectal Specialists, Henry Ford IBD Center, abbvie, Drip Drop, Jassen, Shire, Takeda, Medical Weight Loss Clinic, University of Michigan Crohn's & Colitis Program, 99.5 WYCD and EY for sponsoring Metro-Detroit Takes Steps.

About Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis affects 1 in 200 people. They are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require numerous hospitalizations and surgery. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35; however the incidence is increasing in children.

About Take Steps

Take Steps is the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's national walk program. These walks raise funds for critical research and increase awareness of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, painful and unpredictable digestive diseases. Thousands of people will gather this year in more than 145 communities across the country. Our walks are family friendly festivals with activities for everyone including games, music, and great food. Funds raised through Take Steps will help transform the lives of those impacted by these diseases, and support CCFA's critical research, education, and patient support programs. Walk with us today: get started at www.cctakesteps.org.

About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CCFA's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccfafb and www.facebook.com/ccfatakesteps, or follow CCFA and Take Steps on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ccfa and www.twitter.com/takesteps.