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PRESS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:Ariella Levine
646-943-7430
alevine@ccfa.org
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation National Board Chair Addresses
U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee
Advocates for Funding of Critical Digestive-Disease ResearchWashington, D.C.—March 18, 2009—On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) National Board of Trustees Chairman of the Board, Gary Sinderbrand, spoke before the United States House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, on behalf of the 1.4 million Americans living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's and colitis are devastating inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract that cause severe abdominal pain, fever and intestinal bleeding. Complications include arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, liver disease, and colorectal cancer.
"The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is making dramatic progress that is the result of the scientific excellence of our funded researchers and our volunteer scientific leadership as well as the rapid advancement of available technology," said Sinderbrand during his testimony. "It is now not "if" we will cure IBD, but 'when." The time to a cure is now a function of available funding."
Sinderbrand testified before the Subcommittee to urge them to increase National Institutes of Health funding for the 2010 fiscal year so that CCFA and other organizations can maximize efforts to fund critical research resulting in better therapies and ultimately a cure. The recommendations made by Sinderbrand on behalf of CCFA also included funding of an IBD Epidemiology Program to gain a better understanding of disease prevalence and demographics; and funding to support CCFA's efforts in establishing a Pediatric IBD Patient Registry that will expand epidemiologic, basic, and clinical research on the Crohn's and colitis pediatric population.
CCFA is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, diseases for which we do not know the cause, and for which there is no medical cure. They represent the major cause of morbidity from digestive diseases and forever alter the lives of the people they afflict—particularly children. Sinderbrand knows because he is the father of a child living with Crohn's disease who has experienced many ups and downs of living with the disease, including severe side effects from aggressive therapies to an emergency life-saving surgery to remove over a foot of disease intestinal tissue causing a blockage. Like so many other Americans, Sinderbrand and his family live every day knowing that the disease could flare at any time with devastating consequences.
For more information on CCFA's Research initiatives, visit http://www.ccfa.org/research/?LMI=6/.
About Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative ColitisCrohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.4 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 150,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.
About the Crohn's & Colitis FoundationThe Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation ranks third among leading health non-profits in the percentage of expense devoted to research toward a cure, with more than 81 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends goes to mission-critical programs. The Foundation consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, including the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (charitywatch.org). For more information, contact the Foundation at 800-932-2423 or visit www.ccfa.org.
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