Lori Sperber and Debbie Shapiro

Running in the NYC Marathon on November 2^nd, 2008 with my lifelong friend Debbie Shapiro
I will be running my 4^th marathon, the NYC Marathon on November 2^nd, 2008. This next marathon event is a “must do” for most marathoners. For me, always a Brooklyn Girl at heart, it will be quite special. I will be running and supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as I have for my past 3 marathons with the additional goal of raising money for Team IBD Kids. I will be joining my lifelong friend, Debbie Shapiro in this fundraising effort. To support Team IBD Kids please donate now.

What is IBD?
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, known as IBD, are the most common chronic and serious gastrointestinal disorders affecting children. Both Crohn’s and Colitis tend to strike during childhood at an average age of 12 years old. The cause of these conditions is still unknown. UC can be cured by surgery to remove the entire large intestine. CD can not be cured by surgery. Both are treated with a variety of medications and other therapies.

Imagine what it is like to be a kid with IBD:
•  Eating becomes a struggle and not a source of enjoyment like it is for everyone else
•  You are not like all the other healthy kids who eat anything they want, you are different
•  Frequent trips to doctors and hospitalizations
•  Needles and IVs become commonplace in your life
•  During the hospital stays you are surrounded by sadness and other seriously ill children
•  Having a lowered immunity you are prone to catch other illnesses more easily than other children
•  You often become labeled as “the sick kid”
•  It is not uncommon for normal growth and the ability to mature to be stunted because of your illness, the results of which many children carry into their adult life
•  Missing a lot of school causing added stress and pressure to try to catch up
•  Needing special permission from the school to use the lavatory when needed because of the frequency
•  Swallowing dozens of pills trying to hopefully find a combination that works
•  Receiving intravenous medications that are administered in the hospital
•  Living with the threat of major surgery
•  Living with the permanent scar, both physically and mentally, after surgery

Having a child with IBD is a life changing experience, bringing a great deal of anxiety and stress to the families who have been touched by this. Please help support families who are suffering the way our family did. Please make a generous donation to Team IBD Kids. Donate now.

To Donate by check: Check payable to: Team IBD Kids (Downloadable pdf form)

Team IBD Kids — THE MISSION
The mission of the Children’s IBD Center at Mount Sinai is to provide state of the art comprehensive medical care, in a compassionate environment to children with IBD and their families. The center provides:
•  On-going educational lectures and support groups
•  Website
•  Newsletters
•  Trained parent volunteers who are available to talk to families
•  Ongoing research