"Celebrating UC Success" Announces Essay Contest Winners

NEW YORK –– The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), in partnership with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (P&G), has selected seven winners for the Celebrating UC Success essay contest program that seeks to honor, educate and inspire those affected by ulcerative colitis. Winners’ stories reflect a wide variety of experiences with ulcerative colitis, but all carry a message of hope and perseverance that can help educate and motivate others living with the disease, which is an unpredictable and -- at times -- embarrassing disease of the digestive tract.

"Oftentimes, patients indicate that hearing success stories from others with similar conditions help them realize that they can live beyond their disease," says Dan Hecht, general manager -- North America pharmaceuticals of P&G. "Many people living with ulcerative colitis are able to live life to the fullest despite this illness, and being open about the condition is an important first step in taking control."

A panel of judges representing local CCFA chapters across the country selected the seven most inspirational stories from more than 500 contestants including UC patients and their family, friends and healthcare providers. These seven essays are featured on the program’s Web site, www.ucsuccess.org.

Winners will be recognized at the CCFA's National Advocacy Conference, "IBD Day on the Hill," starting May 14, 2008 in Washington, D.C. During the conference, the Celebrating UC Success winners will be able to meet with their local legislators to discuss research surrounding ulcerative colitis and will be honored at a dinner reception. The seven winners who submitted the most encouraging and creative pieces are as follows:

Patient Winners
• Maureen Akins, from Kent, Wash., recently celebrated her 60th birthday, a milestone which she saw as distant and jeopardized when she was diagnosed with UC at the age of 39. Looking back now, she feels that she was fortunate to have the guidance of a compassionate gastroenterologist, the benefit of modern pharmaceuticals, the ongoing research devoted to curing UC, and the support of a terrific family.

• Elizabeth Camp, an emergency medical technician from Concord, Ga., was diagnosed with UC when she was just eleven years old. The disease was so advanced that she underwent several surgeries to remove her large intestine. She has since resumed a normal life, but her experience as a survivor changed her as a person and has allowed her to see the colors of the world in a new light.

• Pamela Jefferson, from Carthage, Ill., is a wife, mother and grandmother, a second grade teacher and active member of her church parish. However, when diagnosed with UC fifteen years ago, she felt as if her life centered around where bathrooms were located. Since then she has found that the keys to living successfully with UC are prayer, education, the right foods and medication, exercise and a good sense of humor.

• Patty Kunze, from Cape Canaveral, Fla., remembers that less than eight years ago, her life was jammed with doctors’ visits, exhaustion, stress, pain and uncertainty about her future. But after learning how to manage her UC, she feels that she is no longer a UC patient first and foremost. She is a National Board-Certified eighth-grade teacher who plays bass and trumpet in a band; she is someone who recently finished writing her first novel; she is someone who goes contra dancing on the weekends...and she just happens to have UC.

• Shervin Shafa, from Raleigh, N.C., began his battle with UC as a teenager in college, and it was during this difficult time that he gained a great respect for the doctors who cared for him. Now, Shervin is in his final year of medical school. He hopes that as a physician with UC, he will be able to better relate to his patients and use his story to motivate, inspire and encourage others with UC.

Family/Friend Winner
• Tracy Habenicht is a copy editor from Plainfield, Ill., who was inspired by her close friend Keith Means, when he was recently diagnosed with UC this past year. Tracy was surprised at how Keith, a typical "twenty-something" guy, took responsibility by learning about his disease, changing his diet and emotionally dealing with his illness by confiding in her. To her, Keith is a testament to how small changes can mean big success.

Healthcare Provider Winner
• Robert Brown, RPh, is a pharmacist from Cambria, Calif. who consulted with his patient Rachel numerous times as she worked to improve her daily lifestyle with UC. As a young woman, her condition was severely affecting her social life, but he was impressed by how quickly she was able to get her condition under control with medication and support.

"More than half a million Americans live with ulcerative colitis each day, and the response to the Celebrating UC Success contest program from the community underscores the importance of an open dialogue among those affected by the disease," said Kimberly Frederick, vice president of patient & professional services for the CCFA. "We look forward to honoring the winners and to an exciting event in Washington, D.C."

About Celebrating UC Success
The Celebrating UC Success program launched December 2007 and entries were accepted though March 14, 2008. Entrants submitted essays in one of three categories: Ulcerative Colitis Patients, Supportive Family Members/Friends and Healthcare Providers. Every applicant was recognized for their entry and received a complimentary one-year membership to the CCFA. Semi-finalists received a $50 gift card to the foundation’s online store.

Source: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America