Help 20,000 New Zealanders suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Helen hopes to help others shortcut the 16 years it has taken her to gain life-altering knowledge of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Auckland
I was 28 when I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease – a form of IBD, which 20,000 New Zealanders currently suffer from.
In the world of IBD there is a huge gap between what your doctor tells you, and how it actually feels to live with IBD every day of your life. It affects your career, relationships and family, your mental, emotional, and physical health. However there is so much that people can do to reduce their symptoms and improve their lives, that many don’t realise. After a decade of volunteer work for the Auckland Crohn’s and Colitis Support Group and Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand, I want to build a website to bottle the knowledge I and others have collected from our lived experience. My hope is that it will become a valuable resource for patients, support groups, and medical professionals worldwide.
IBD diagnoses are only growing around the world. I constantly receive calls for help, and there is so much more I can do! If you feel moved to donate or have any questions or ideas please go for it :-)
Amy Shaw's involvement (page creator)
At Attain, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be remarkable. We give our heart to several not-for-profit and community organisations that support local Kiwis in fulfilling their dreams, achieving greatness, and inspiring others.
Use of funds
Funds will be used to create a website to house information that would be available to all existing national support groups and those living with IBD and their families. If we don't reach our target, we will use whatever money we do raise toward a basic website.
Latest update
Swimming 4 July 2023
Hi everyone, I have some cool news to share! Most people who know me have no clue about my lifelong fear of freestyle swimming. Since childhood, trying to do freestyle breathing has literally brought on panic attacks. As an adult I will float about in the sea or sit in a spa, but generally avoid pools and never attempt to swim. As a challenge to myself to conquer this fear, a few months ago I signed up for swimming lessons. Progress was slow and I still doubted I would ever reach my goal of becoming a confident swimmer. However with the help of an amazing coach, and after countless laps with a flutter board, today I completed my first ever 25m lap without one - it literally felt like a miracle!
Cliches often exist for a reason, and as I caught my breath looking towards the far end of the pool that I had just come from, I thought about how so recently and for so long, swimming seemed absolutely impossible to me. And yet with the right coach, a pair of goggles, and persistence, a lifelong fear of 40 years was overcome in just a few short months. If we had the courage to face our fears, what else could we overcome? If we challenged the notion of "impossible", what could we achieve in no time at all?
Helen xxx
Latest donations
Thanks so much Avital!
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