Dear Oprah,
I am 14 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was 9. Usually, Crohn's is inflammation in the intestines causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. However, I have disease in my bones, joints, trachea and bladder as well as in my intestines. There is no cure for Crohn's and it signific
antly increases the chances of getting colon cancer. My 12 year old brother also has the disease. I have been on steroids many times to treat my disease. Last year, I was hospitalized twice and I missed a month of school. Instead of using steroids again, my doctor gave me the option of going on
a liquid formula diet designed for people with Crohn's. I did well for a while, but I am having difficulties transitioning back to food. The formula has been my only source of nutrition for most of the past year. My mission is to educate and spread awareness about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
so that it can be better understood by children, teens and adults. I am very involved with the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). I am the Youth Ambassador for the CCFA. Once people understand what the disease involves, the public will be more willing to help. Some of the things
I have done to accomplish my mission include the following: • I lobbied and testified before a Senate subcommittee to pass the Restroom Access Act in Minnesota. (It was made a law in August 2007) • I have lobbied in DC to increase funding for IBD research. • I have shared my story at numerous
CCFA fundraisers to help spread awareness and raise research dollars to help find a cure. • I have submitted essays to teen literary magazines about Crohn's disease. • I appeared on the local TV news and in the St.Paul newspaper telling my story and promoting Crohn's awareness. • I have crea
ted a fundraiser, Project CURE (Communication, Understanding, Respect, Education). I make bracelets and sell them to raise money for Camp Oasis, a camp for kids with IBD. If you did a segment on IBD it would help spread awareness significantly and would ultimately help more people to understand th
e disease. It is the first step in finding a cure. Thank you far taking time to learn about my story. I hope you can help me teach more people about IBD. Best Wishes. Laurel Schwartz

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