Will you please help us fight Crohn's and colitis?

Dear Friends and Family: I want to thank all of you who have gernerously donated to support the fight against Crohn's and Colitis. So many of us have a friend or family member who has been impacted by these terrible diseases that affect more than 1.3 million people in America. Together we have raised $5778 dollars to fight.  My goal is to break the $7000 mark before the end of this campaign. With 2 weeks left we are only $1222 from that goal. My ultimate goal is $10,000 can we do it? My Request to you: If you can donate please do, this is an amazing organization that helps so many with Crohn's, colitis and other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.  If you've already donated or are unable, please share this information with your family your friends and facebook. Share my link: http://online.ccfa.org/goto/IronMatt  Why am I doing this? I want to share a personal story of one man's ongoing battle with Crohn's disease. My friend Joseph is one of the many reasons that I'm out here fighting. On hard training days and days I don't want to get up to train I think of him and the countless others who have suffered far more than most of us can ever imagine. Please Help however you can.  Here are his words: I was diagnosed 15 years ago. I was working on my second bachelors degree in Chattanooga, TN (what a coincidence!!!) when I had come home for Christmas break. I started having a lot of abdominal pain at that time but dismissed it to all the wonderful holiday treats I had enjoyed. I was hospitalized soon after returning and after two weeks in the hospital, I was diagnosed with Crohn's I was in my last semester so I struggled and fought through it so I could graduate on time. The day of my last class I came home to Indiana to spend some time with my family and hopefully recover. My second day home I started having sever pain and ended up in the ER. They took me in for emergency surgery where they removed 22" of my intestine and a small portion of my colon. Since that time I have had 5 additional surgeries bringing the total to 6. My last two surgeries were met with severe complications, one requiring an additional surgery to repair a "leak" that was expelling into my pelvic cavity and causing near sepsis. The battle has been never ending. I am currently experiencing one of the worst flares I have had in my 15 years. I am on IV feedings and have lost about 30 pounds. I am 6'1" and currently weigh 107 pounds. I was already ridiculously thin, but now I look like Celine Dion's body double! Through all this I have gone on to get my Master's degree in Social Work and have worked full time despite the pain and other non-pleasantries that come along with the disease. I am a fighter and refuse to give up. In my previous life (which I call B.C. "Before Crohn's") I was very athletic and energetic. Since then, my life has drastically changed. I keep a great attitude and have an awesome sense of humor which has helped me on this journey. I also have a great support system through my family and friends, without whom I do not think I would be here today. Again, you have no idea what all you are doing means to me. -Joseph       Together we are making a difference! On September 27th, I'll be out there swimming, biking and running 140.6+ miles to raise more awareness.        Click here to visit my personal page. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR?px=3164789&pg=personal&fr_id=4670&et=kq4ZCEAmzN8oV94nt0dq-w&s_tafId=100310 If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://online.ccfa.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=1669efac8cdb1846c0550f16971e5a8a2170ed0537ccf32cebcbc7435140ece1 Connect with Us: Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest © Copyright 2014 Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

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IRONMAN Chattanooga 2015!

A message from Matthew Eash info@ccfa.org.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I’m excited to announce that with the support of my amazing family I’ll be training for my second IRONMAN. I will be training to complete IRONMAN Chattanooga with Team Challenge on September 27th in Chattanooga Tennessee. I am sure you're thinking, "Yeah, so what. Matt is running another race. He has done this before, should we be surprised?"

Maybe you’re not all that surprised, but you may be surprised to know that this year my race will be dedicated to help those who suffer with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. I will be completing the 140.6 mile journey to raise funds and awareness for research leading to a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Over the next 8 months I will be swimming, biking and running while raising funds to find a cure for this disease that has claimed over 1.4 million Americans.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are known together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. The cause of IBD remains unknown. However, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and steady advances in research brings us closer every day to finding the cause and probable cure of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

My base goal is to raise over $5,000 for Team Challenge and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. I have a much larger stretch goal, we’ll talk more about that later. Over 80% of every dollar I raise will directly fund the mission of CCFA, to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by inflammatory bowel diseases.

I have made a commitment to complete this journey in 2015 and bring us closer to providing hope, peace, and freedom to individuals battling IBD. I am hopeful you will join me in the fight against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. You can help by visiting the link at the bottom of this email and helping the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Donations are tax deductible, and don’t forget to check and see if your company may match donations. No donation is too small!

 

Along the way I plan to share stories of friends and family who have been impacted by Chron’s or ulcerative colitis. I’d love for you to share your story with me so that together we can raise awareness!

 

Thank you so much for your generosity and support!

-matt-

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR?px=3164789&pg=personal&fr_id=4670&et=Z3Qx_vj1v0zeA1N5SuFqfQ&s_tafId=94461

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://online.ccfa.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=1669efac8cdb1846c0550f16971e5a8a2170ed0537ccf32cebcbc7435140ece1

Dear Friends and Family,

I’m excited to announce that with the support of my amazing family I’ll be training for my second IRONMAN. I will be training to complete IRONMAN Chattanooga with Team Challenge on September 27^th in Chattanooga Tennessee. I am sure you're thinking, "Yeah, so what. Matt is running another race. He has done this before, should we be surprised?"

Maybe you’re not all that surprised but you may be surprised to know that this year my race will be dedicated to those who suffer with Chron’s disease or ulcerative colitis. I will be completing the 140.6 mile race to raise funds and awareness for research leading to a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Over the next 8 months I will be swimming, biking and running while raising funds to find a cure for this disease that has claimed over 1.4 million Americans.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are known together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. The cause of IBD remains unknown. However, the effectiveness of recently developed treatment methods and steady advances in research brings us closer every day to finding the cause and probable cure of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

My base goal is to raise over $5,000 for Team Challenge and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. I have a much larger stretch goal, we’ll talk more about that later.  Over 80% of every dollar I raise will directly fund the mission of CCFA, to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by inflammatory bowel diseases.

I have made a commitment to complete this journey in 2015 and bring us closer to providing hope, peace, and freedom to individuals battling IBD. I am hopeful you will join me in the fight against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. You can help by visiting: http://online.ccfa.org/goto/IronMatt and donating generously to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Donations are tax deductible, and don’t forget to check to see if your company matches donations.

Along the way I plan to share stories of friends and family who have been impacted by Chron’s or ulcerative colitis. I’d love for you to share your story with me so that together we can raise awareness! 

Donate here: http://online.ccfa.org/goto/IronMatt