ibdcure.org | action center | Take Action: media

Press Releases are often sent to newspapers on humanitarian efforts. You may assist us by emailing/faxing the provided description of the Campaign to absolutely any media source [TV, newspaper, etc]. Media is one of the most crucial factors in the growth of the IBD Stamp Campaign. If the word continues to get out, the proposed IBD Stamp will undoubtedly be approved.

If you are from the press, and would like to interview Gideon, please email: press@ibdcure.org or call 866.287.CURE.

We thank you very much for choosing this assistance option, and urge you to return to your designated action center after you are finished to see what else you can do to help us!

Pre-written Letter:

To the Editor: (or name of media source),

I am writing to you to inform you of a Campaign which has been started to conquer a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is formed by two sub-conditions: Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). IBD is a chronic intestinal disorder which is thought to be initiated by one's own immune system. The intestines of a person with IBD have trouble recognizing antigens (proteins) from blood, bacteria, and food. Consequently, a typical person who is afflicted with IBD experiences mild to severe inflammation in their intestinal tract. The inflammation is said to be caused by the immune system's overreaction to proteins which are unfamiliar, but in actuality, the proteins are most often harmless or beneficial to one's health (such as food proteins). Scientist are unsure why IBD immune systems are unable to recognize these important proteins. Side-effects from the intestinal inflammation include: extreme lack of appetite, severe weight loss, malabsorbtion of important nutrients, loose stools, blood or mucous in stools, constipation, dangerous fevers, ongoing fatigue & tiredness, joint pains, lactose intolerance, and chronic ulcers anywhere from the mouth to buttocks. The difference between CD and UC is that Colitis usually afflicts the Colon, or one specific area of the intestines, while Crohn's is widespread.

The Facts:

There are currently over 1 million people in America with IBD; over 4 million worldwide. About 110 new people in America are diagnosed with the condition each day. Fifty to seventy percent of adolescents with IBD will have to endure at least one surgical procedure in their lifetime. IBD accounts for approximately 152,000 hospitalizations each year. The cost of missed work days for IBD patients is estimated to be at least a one billion dollars per year. There is no known cause or cure for IBD.

The Campaign:

The Campaign that has been started to conquer IBD is known as the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Stamp Campaign (IBDSC). The IBDSC was created by Gideon J. Sofer, a survivor of Crohn's disease. At age 12, he was desperately looking for answers as to what he had. Doctors knew very little about Crohn's, and this nearly caused him his life. At only 45 pounds, and a ghostlike build on his face, he landed up in the hospital for 3 weeks for his Crohn's diagnosis; and this was only the beginning. Over the last five years, he's endured 10+ hospitalizations, one intense Crohn's surgical procedure, and has torn through every drug on the market to treat CD. He is now optionless like many other people with Crohn's, and is optimistically awaiting products from drug companies' pipelines.

The main reason why he started the Campaign was because of what he saw to be as an extreme deficit in the amount of awareness of IBD. He was motivated by his personal situation, and the millions of others in his position to try and convince the United States Postal Service to issue an awareness stamp to help conquer IBD.

To date, the Campaign has been covered in media sources around the nation, and has collected over 2,000 signatures. Gideon and the Campaign will be introducing United States legislation with Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. in the Spring/Summer of 2001 to help persuade the Postal Service's Stamps Committee to approve the stamp. The stamp proposal is in stage 4/6, and this is exactly why urgent action is needed.

Take Action:

To quickly sign the stamp proposal, simply visit: http://www.ibdcure.org/ac/esig.html

To visit the homepage of the Campaign, please visit: http://www.ibdcure.org

As a media source, you have the potential to significantly impact the lives of people with IBD. I hope that you will seriously consider publicizing this worldwide effort. To contact Gideon or the Campaign for additional information, simply visit their website @ www.ibdcure.org, email: press@ibdcure.org, or call 866.287.CURE. Thank you tremendously for your time.

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