The Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s annual Gutsy Walk is coming back to Yorkton, with the goal of making people in the city more aware of what people with Crohn’s and Colitis have to live with, as well as providing funds for research and education. On June 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the Brodie and Winchester walking path, people in the city will be walking to help the cause.
Breanne Kelly, Gutsy Walk chair admits they have a modest goal for this year’s event, as they build support and awareness in the community. It is a 5km run or walk and she says that the goal is to have a fun family event. She notes that people can get their running times if they want, but they can also just walk casually, there will be face painting for kids and a barbecue for everyone in the area. It’s open for whatever people want to enjoy.
Becoming involved in the event because she has Crohn’s herself, Kelly says that for her it’s just about getting involved with something she knows can make a difference. She says her initial plan was to just volunteer, but was convinced to chair the event. She says it’s her first time doing it, but she is glad to start it back up and build awareness in the community.
“Now that there’s more and more people being diagnosed, and younger and younger people are being diagnosed, I think it’s important that we break down the stigma around it and put it out there for people to know.”
Kelly was diagnosed when she was 15, she says that she has spent weeks at a time in the hospital in order to heal. She says that as an internal disease, and one where many of the symptoms involve the bathroom, there is a reluctance to talk about it and discuss what Crohn’s and Colitis actually are. She says that while she might look fine when the disease flares up, it can take weeks to recover, something which people need to understand.
“I find it’s one of those diseases where you look okay and people assume you’re fine. They say you don’t show it. Getting awareness that it’s an issue, it’s there, and it’s okay for people to still look healthy on the outside but inside they could be fighting a whole different thing.”
One of the reasons why Kelly believes people should get involved is for the kids with the disease, as diagnosis is happening at a very young age. She says that she had a great deal of difficulty at 15 and growing while dealing with the limited amount of nutrition she could get, and can’t imagine what it must be like for a much younger kid.
“They have to learn at a very young age what to eat, how to live their life, where’s the washroom all the time. For them that’s got to be hard.”
People with Crohn’s and Colitis need lots of medications and they are very limited in what food they can actually eat.
“For me, I steer clear of gluten and dairy and sugar and anything that could make it flare up... To go somewhere and eat what you want is a luxury that people with Crohn’s or Colitis don’t really have.”
She says their goals are modest because it is the first year back, but they want to have a foundation to build on for future years. The current goal is $5,000 for the walk in this year. The biggest thing is to establish Crohn’s and Colitis Canada in Yorkton.
The money raised goes to a few different things. Research is a big one, as they look for new treatments for the disease, but they also spend money on education, whether it is for people with the disease or educating people overall.
To get involved, people can visit www.gutsywalk.ca or even just come on the day to learn more, whether they come for the walk, the barbecue, or just to learn more about what Crohn’s and Colitis involves. Registration begins at 12 p.m. They can also contact Kelly at 306-471-4096 or [email protected].
“We’re hoping people come out, even if they’re just curious what the day is going to be like.”
