FEMALES Walk to End Crohn's/Colitis Disease

Written by Kate Harner

            Willimantic, CT --  FEMALES (Females Excelling, Maturing to Achieve, Leadership, Excellence and Success), a student club at Eastern Connecticut State University that promotes leadership and unity among women on campus, will hold a march to raise funds, increase public awareness and encourage research to end Crohn's disease and colitis on Oct. 11. The march will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on the track next to Eastern's baseball complex on Mansfield Road in Mansfield. The march will include food, T-shirts, music and other forms of entertainment.

Crohn's and colitis are collectively called inflammatory bowel disease. Some scientists believe the disease is caused by the body's immune system attacking itself, causing inflammation in the intestines. The disease is usually diagnosed in persons in their teens or twenties, but can occur at any point in life. Crohn's disease can be a chronic, recurrent condition or can cause minimal symptoms with or without medical treatment. No cure exists and few medical options are available for those who live with the disease.

"Some of the symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fever, fatigue and loss of appetite and weight," said FEMALES Vice President Soncheray Hall. "The disease can also affect the joints, eyes, skin and liver. Children who have Crohn's disease may suffer delayed growth and sexual development."

Amy Goldberg, a junior from Westchester, NY, majoring in art therapy at Eastern and a member of FEMALES, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 8 and will walk in the march. "My mission is to get people educated and informed about the disease and make it acceptable for patients to talk about their illness. There is a large community of people suffering with the disease but they all have to suffer in silence because the disease isn't the most glamorous," says Goldberg.

A donation fee for Eastern students who wish to participate in the march is $3. The fee is $10 for faculty, staff and the general public, and $35 for clubs and organizations. Participating clubs and organizations must register as club members by Oct. 3. To register, contact Soncheray Hall at halls@stu.easternct.edu or at (860) 461-4234.