There's still time to help Emma raise money to find a cure! CCFA's Greater Los Angeles/Orange County Chapter Guts & Glory 5k Walk/Run at UCLA will be on Sunday, August 26th. Here is an article that featured Emma in a CCFA email. It was delivered to over 8,000 readers. Here's the content of the email, and be sure to visit Emma's page!

This Is Emma. When You Participate In The Guts & Glory Event You're Helping Great Kids Like Her!

Emma was diagnosed with moderate ulcerative colitis at age 6 1/2 . She was put on an aggressive medication program and was taking up to 20 pills a day. After a year of remission, Emma was beginning to flare all the time. By the summer of 2006 she was having as many as 30 painful bowel movements day & night. She never wanted to leave the house for fear she would not find a bathroom in time. At home she took to sleeping on the floor in front of her bathroom because she knew she could not make the 12 steps from her bed to the toilet. She missed a lot of school, dropped out of dance, and declined to go anywhere fun. Emma was very depressed and had very low self-esteem.

Her fourth colonoscopy revealed that she had pancolitis. All medical intervention had failed (pills, suppositories, enemas, diet change, Remicade, injections, supplements) . Emma's colon had to be removed. She cried and cried once she heard the news. Nine days before her 10th birthday Emma went in for surgery. After the surgery, the surgeon told her parents that she was a very, very sick girl. All her organs were weakened and her colon literally fell apart in his hands. She required a blood transfusion and was in the ICU.

Emma is now doing so much better! She went to CCFA's Camp Oasis family camp weekend in May and had a blast. Emma is currently recovering from surgery to create a j-pouch and remove her rectum. This amazingly brave girl is busy making plans for her future and looks forward to seeing you at CCFA's Greater Los Angeles/Orange County Chapter Guts & Glory 5k Walk/Run at UCLA on Sunday, August 26th.
Register today for the
2007 Guts & Glory 5k Walk/Run
(Thanks to all who have already registered)

or

Support CCFA with a donation

http://ccfa.kintera.org/la/walk/emmasucpage

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Original Post:

Emma Sweaza is one courageous girl! She suffers from a debilitating disease called Ulcerative Colitis. Last February she had her colon removed. She faces 2 more surgeries (the next on June 8th) this summer and some scary complications.

Now that she is feeling better (she has an ileosotomy bag--see photos on her care page!), she is excited to be raising money for a cure and also for kids like her to go to camp. Emma will be featured at the Guts & Glory 5K Walk/Run for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America because she is such an inspiration!

Read all about the fund raiser at http://ccfa.kintera.org/la/walk/emmasucpage, and you can read more about Emma and see her photo album at www.carepages.com and search for EmmasUCPage.

Thanks!