GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — Crohn’s Disease and Colitis are two common inflammatory bowel diseases that affect one in 200 people in the U.S.
While there is currently no cure for the diseases, Aurora BayCare Medical Center is working to help fund research through “Take Steps,” the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s largest fundraising event.
Aurora BayCare hosts the event annually, bringing those impacted by Crohn’s and Colitis together as a community.
“You realize you’re not alone, you see that a lot of people have to cope with such things and I think that helps,” Dr. Mitchell Manthey, an Aurora BayCare Gastroenterologist said.
The walk will be held on Saturday, September 14th on the Aurora BayCare campus.
The day’s events will begin at 9 a.m. with a festival and registration for the walk. The walk itself will start at 10.
“It’s just a casual event, you know it’s not a race,” Nick Olson, an Aurora BayCare Take Steps Event Representative said. “It’s just: let’s go out, let’s talk about this disease, people who have this disease can kind of talk to others who are dealing with it, it’s just a nice community event.”
Crohn’s Disease and Colitis are chronic conditions.
“They affect the intestines, they cause inflammation, and they can cause lots of difficulties and consequences,” Dr. Manthey said.
The team at Aurora BayCare is well-equipped to help patients manage their symptoms.
“We work in a collaborative fashion: with our surgeons, with our nutritionists, with our pathologists; and a team approach I think is better to address these people and their needs because it can be very complicated,” Dr. Manthey said.
Even with those collaborative efforts, life with Crohn’s and Colitis can be challenging.
“We have good treatments,” Dr. Manthey said. “Things are getting better, but they’re still difficult diseases for a lot of our patients.”
The Green Bay Take Steps walk aims to raise awareness of those challenges.
“We thought it was important to finds ways to raise funds and awareness on Crohn’s and Colitis and how it affects its patients,” Olson said.
To sign up for Green Bay Take Steps, click here.
To learn more, you can call Aurora BayCare at 866-938-0035 or email healthwatch@aurorabaycare.com
