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Gideon provided the following writing piece to thoroughly explain how his Campaign came to be. We hope you enjoy the information, and feel free to contact Gideon at anytime. He is extremely preoccupied with trying to stay healthy, his studies, as well as Campaign affairs. Nevertheless, he guarantees his full effort to try and respond to your emails.

...and so it began:

I was in my hospital bed one evening in 1996. I was in the process of being thoroughly diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD). I didn't know what was happening at the time, all I knew was that I wanted to get better. I usually didn't have time to ask questions. I just thought any establishment of my situation was good enough. That night was different though. My energy level was heightened, and I started to wonder what CD was. I slowly recalled some of the things the docs told me, but it just didn't seem like it was enough, or enough to the extent where I could coherently put the facts together to get a good understanding of CD. It even seemed like they didn't have many answers to what I was experiencing. It just seemed like I was being given a label, with some answers, but very little. My mind drifted to my stamp collection. I thought of all the great awareness stamps that I saw in the past. I then thought about the possibility for a Crohn's stamp. I thought about all of the great things a postage stamp could bring to the people with CD and myself. I thought about how maybe more questions could be answered. I thought about how the general public would understand what we people go through everyday. I thought about how it would heightened political pressure on the pharmaceutical companies to conduct more research to develop drugs to help take me out of the excruciating pain I was in. More importantly, I thought about all of the other people out there with CD. It wasn't just me who was in the pain, it was the tons of other people who were in the same or similar situation. I wanted to create postage stamp simply because I felt something needed to be done about this disease, but not just anything. Something that would actually impact the disease in a strategic manner had to be done, and it needed to be done soon. A postage stamp would do just that.

...three years later:

Three years after my initial diagnosis in 1996, I caught pneumonia. My situation had improved in some ways, but had gone downhill in others. I had significantly recovered well from my operation in 1997, but my general "Crohn's" couldn't be kept in a functional remission. After being in and out of the hospital 10+ times in just a few years for CD and other complications, I decided it was time; time to create what I would call the 'Inflammatory Bowel Disease Stamp Campaign. 'Soon after in the Spring of 2000, I contacted my Senators and Congressman and asked for their support in convincing the Postal Service to create the stamp. Robert Torrecelli (D-NJ) responded first with a letter that was beyond my expectations. He wrote a full page letter explaining why a stamp needed to be created for CD and sent a copy to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC)--the Committee serving the Postal Service in their issuance decisions. Frank Lautenberg [(Prior Senator)D-NJ] replied just a few weeks after expressing similar thoughts and sent his letter of approval and support to the Committee as well. Then, after making a few calls and what not, I received a letter from Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.'s office (D-NJ, 6th district). The letter that I received from his office was absolutely beyond my wildest expectations. He first expressed his full support for the postage stamp idea. He then went on to say that he'd be delighted to introduce legislation to the United States House of Representatives and coordinate it in the Senate as well with my Senators. He not only suggested this, but he ask that "I try my hand" at writing the legislation. This was undoubtedly the one of the best days of my life.

--Gideon Sofer

...and the unbelievable progress:

Since the Campaign began last year, many, many plans of mine have been made and achieved. The Campaign (to date) has collected well over two thousand signatures to try and persuade the Stamp Committee to approve the stamp. This will be the first batch of signatures to bombard the Committee with the unbeatable American and global voice for a Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis postage stamp.

Gideon has given lectures on IBD and the Campaign at summer programs, health events, etc. Local businesses and nonprofit organizations have lent a helping hand to the Campaign by collecting signatures. Many other organizations nationally have expressed their support and have assisted the Campaign with it's objectives.

The most immediate goal for the Campaign is to get the legislation introduced into the House of Representatives and Senate. Gideon hopes to testify before the Postal Service Sub-committee in Washington to express the extreme need for the postage stamp and what it can do to assist those in Gideon's position.

Gideon cannot end this section of his website without thanking the tireless support from the thousands of people that have joined in to support his cause. He wants each supporter to know that not only are they assisting him with his health, but they are assisting more than and estimated four million people who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease worldwide. He guarantees that each and every supporter will eventually lead to finding a cure for those who are afflicted with IBD.

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