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Awareness Month 2024

May is Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month

8-10%

of people with IBD were diagnosed before the age of 18

That’s why this May, Crohn’s & Colitis Australia are #SavingKidsGuts!

IBD is a lifelong chronic condition, and the burden of disease is significant for young people.

CCA supports young people and their families through initiatives like the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP!) and by organising events like Kids Fun Days and Live Fearless Camps.

We also want to ensure that kids with IBD receive prompt diagnosis and treatment to help them live with their condition and avoid invasive treatments.

In 2023, CCA coordinated two studies to quantify the opportunity to improve the experience of young people diagnosed with IBD. CCA will present these findings, along with key recommendations, at a Parliamentary event on 30 May, where we will advocate for #savingkidsguts.

We thank the young people and their families who have shared their stories with us for Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month. You are truly fearless.

Live Streamed IBD Information Forum

The information forum was held on Wednesday 1 May at 7.30pm EST

Promotional Material

Download, print, distribute or share on social media these Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month resources during May. Click on the images to download them

Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month

Poster

Download, print, distribute or share on social media these Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month resources during May.

Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month:

Social tiles

Media release

Research reveals that young people with IBD aren’t receiving the care they need.

For media enquiries contact Julie Weldon 0423 110 802 or [email protected].

Thank you to our Awareness Month Champions!

We want to thank our Awareness Month Champions for the incredible stories and videos they sent with us throughout May. See some of the videos sent through to us by some of our Champions; Indiana, Sienna, Liam and Charlotte.

You can find more videos from all of our Awareness Month Champions on social media platforms.

Fundraising During May

We know that many of CCA’s supporters love to fundraise and raise awareness of Crohn’s and colitis in their community or workplace at this time of year.

If you’d like to raise awareness of IBD in your own community or do your own fundraising activity this May, visit our fundraise page.

We’re incredibly grateful for the efforts of our fundraisers to help support people with IBD.

Don’t forget to capture your fundraising event or activity and send us your photos and stories.

For more information on fundraising, email us [email protected]

Get your purple ribbon!

CCA Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month ribbons are available through our merchandise store for just $3 – or get a pack of 10 for $27.

Buy yours now

Shine a Light – World IBD Day

Thank you to every landmark and building across Australia that illuminated purple on World IBD Day – Sunday 19 May – in recognition of the IBD Community. Your support is invaluable.

We are happy to share is a selection of images from the night. 

If you have photos you haven’t shared with us yet, don’t forget to upload to social media using the campaign hashtags #SavingKidsGuts #FlushTheStigma  #WorldIBDDay2024 #ShineALightonIBD Or email them to us at [email protected]

ACT

Royal Australian Mint. Credit X. With support ramint.gov.au

NSW

Morpeth Bridge. Credit: Marcelle Searles. With support from mymaitland.com.au
Manly Town Hall. Credit: Denise Anderson. With support from northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au
Orange Robertson Fountain. Credit Cassandra Anslow and Helen Moon. With support from orange.nsw.gov.au

NT

Darwin Civic Centre. Credit: Hermine Strohmayr. With support from darwin.nt.gov.au

QLD

Surfers Paradise. Credit: Leanne Horchner. With support from goldcoast.qld.gov.au
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville. Credit: Facebook. With support from queenslandcountrybankstadium.com.au
The Gabba. With support from thegabba.com.au
Story Bridge. Credit: Belle. With support from brisbane.qld.gov.au

SA

Mt Gambier City Hall & Riddoch Arts & Cultural Centre. Credit: Tracy Tzioutziouklaris. With support from mountgambier.sa.gov.au
Unley Town Hall. Credit: City of Unley. With support from unley.sa.gov.au
Riverbank Footbridge. Credit: Angus Yallop. With support from sa.gov.au
SAMHRI. Credit: Angus Yallop. With support from sahmri.org.au
Parliament House. Credit: Angus Yallop. With support from parliament.sa.gov.au
University of SA Bradley Building. Credit: Angus Young. With support from unisa.gov.au
Adelaide Railway Station. Credit: Angus Yallop. With support from sa.gov.au

TAS

Tasman Crowne Plaza. Credit Crowne Plaza Instagram. With support from ihg.com
Franklin Square Fountain. Credit: Indiana Dalton. With support from hobartcity.com.au
Tasman Bridge. Credit: Jordan Cripps. With support from tas.gov.au
Tasman Bridge. Credit: Liz Wheelton. With support from sa.gov.au

VIC

Bendigo Conservatory. Credit: Sienna Warren. With support from bendigo.vic.gov.au
Melbourne Town Hall. Credit: Connie. With support from melbourne.vic.gov.au
MCG. With support from mcg.org.au
Flinders Street. With support from metrotrains.com.au

WA

King Park Fraser Drive. With Support from bgpa.wa.gov.au/kings-park
Northbridge Tunnel. With support from mainroads.wa.gov.au
Council House. With support from perth.wa.gov.au
The Bell Tower. With Support from thebelltower.com.au

Shine A Light @ Home!

Purple Tree lights World IBD Day

Help raise awareness locally by lighting up your house or garden purple.

· Hang purple fairy lights in your garden, like these one from Bunnings

· Change your porch light to a purple globe or program your smart-globe to shine purple for the night

Don’t forget to share your photos on social media and tag us using the campaign hashtags #SavingKidsGuts #FlushTheStigma #WorldIBDDay2024 #ShineALightonIBD

Share your Story

#FlushTheStigma around inflammatory bowel disease this May. It takes guts to talk about Crohn’s and colitis. Help CCA overcome the stigma surrounding IBD by being fearless in starting conversations and sharing stories about Crohn’s and colitis.

Share your Story

Connect with us

Stay informed and connected during Awareness Month by following CCA on social media. We would love to hear from you!

Be sure to use the following hashtags when you post on your socials 

#IBDHasNoAge #FlushTheStigma #SavingKidsGuts

#WorldIBDDay 2024 #ShineALight

Crohn’s & Colitis Australia’s 2024 Awareness Month is supported by  Pfizer, Johnson&Johnson, Dr Falk Pharma Australia, AbbVie, Takeda Australia and Celltrion Healthcare. 

All content is independently produced by Crohn’s & Colitis Australia.

On This Page

Live Streamed IBD Information Forum Promotional Material Social tiles Media release Fundraising During May Get your purple ribbon! Shine a Light – World IBD Day Shine A Light @ Home! Share your Story Connect with us