Dancing to fight IBD

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an incurable chronic illness, when I was 19. Since then I've had two flares, three colonoscopies, thousands of pills, dozens of injections, indescribable physical pain, countless administrative nightmares, and mountains of fear and gratitude alike.

It was a revelation to me, the first time I put on a fundraiser for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (then called CCFA) four years ago, that in the Zumba community I had found limitless love and support. I was afraid to talk about my disease, especially on a stage, but that fundraiser cracked open the outer shell of fear to reveal a vein of passionate activism. At least, I knew then that I would need to keep talking about IBD to help fight the stigma that keeps people feeling alone and prevents them recognizing their symptoms or getting the treatments they need.

I was fortunate to stumble upon Girls with Guts, a much smaller nonprofit, in 2015. This group puts on annual retreats specifically for young women with IBD, and it is difficult to put into words how much I value the two retreats I've attended. They made me feel like I would never be alone, like there were people who truly understood and cared what I was going through. And they showed me the incredible fortitude and adaptability of IBD patients. Suddenly I was hopeful about my future again.

The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is my best hope for new medications and continuous discovery that could lead to a cure for IBD. Girls with Guts offers acceptance and hope on a very personal level to hundreds of women just like me. I would like to donate half of the proceeds (from the Zumba party event and from this donation campaign) to each organization.

Zumba is such a gift to my life and to the lives of millions of others. For me, it offers a way to be grateful for and connected with this struggling body of mine. No matter what, there is always dance and always music in my heart.

Thank you for sharing this with me.