The Johnson State College women's soccer team hosted a Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis awareness game on Sunday Oct. 11th to raise consciousness and money to support two women's soccer players who suffer from the autoimmune disorders. The players and coaching staff raised $300 dollars from baked goods and donations and used the money to help offset the cost of an onsite porta-potty and sent the rest to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Chelsea Austin suffers from Crohn's disease and Eden Towers has Ulcerative Colitis. Both Austin and Towers wanted to share their story to help raise awareness.
Chelsea Austin, a sophomore from Burlington, Vt., was diagnosed with Crohn's disease late last fall. She has spent the last year working toward remission. That requires eating a very strict diet and trying to keep energized. "It is incredibly difficult to be a student-athlete while having Crohn's disease. Every college student knows that school takes up a lot of time and takes a lot of effort. What they don't know are the struggles of being a student and having an autoimmune disease."
Crohn's and Colitis, affects 1.6 million people nationwide. Both are major categories of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD is a chronic disease that is incurable. Crohn's is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal track, affecting everything in the body from top to bottom. Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic disease of the large intestine that becomes inflamed and causes tiny open cuts or sores. Some symptoms are fatigue, abdominal cramps, and urgent need to use the bathroom.
Eden Towers, a senior from Morrisville, Vt., was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in the summer of 2009. She has since then worked towards being in remission but still suffers from symptoms daily. Although she is in pain, her illness is almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye.
Despite their illnesses, they both play soccer because they say it helps them feel the best possible under difficult circumstances. "I need my team and the support they give me; being a part of the team makes me feel needed and it makes having Crohn's Disease seem not so bad." Being a student athlete is what helps them keep going.
For more information on Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis visit: http://www.ccfa.org