Help Emma raise money to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis!  Emma has been fighting ulcerative colitis since age 6, with laughter, strength and courage beyond her years. 
 
Click here to read her inspiring story and updates on her progress (search for EmmasUCcarepage.  You'll need to sign in for access.  You can also find Emma's page by searching  at www.carepages.com and search for EmmasUCPage.
 
Visit this site to join Emma's fundraising team!
 
 
A note from Emma and her mom, Kristen:
Dear Friends and Family,
 
Where to start? Well, Emma has completed all her surgeries (3) and has had the best year since she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 6. She still sees her GI and surgeon every 3 months and has to be examined each time. We also learned she has osteoporosis from all the toxic treatments and medications she was on. But, she no longer needs to take medicine and has grown almost 6 inches since her first surgery in February 2007! She is back in school and is like a regular kid again!
 
Since getting her health (and life) back she has become quite an inspiration to others! She has been featured in many articles, brochures and mailings. Together, we have started a support group in Orange County for other kids and families dealing with IBD. She is called upon frequently to talk to other kids who are facing surgery or who have recently been diagnosed with IBD.
 
The CCFA has supported us from the very beginning. They have called and visited when Emma was in the hospital, sending well wishes and flowers. They have answered all our questions and if they didn't have the answers, they found them! They have enabled us to create this new support group that helps not only our family but many others. And they are able to send our family to family camp twice a year as well as let Emma attend camp for a full week each summer.
 
Without your donations and support none of this is possible! Won't you help by joining us at Aldrich Park at UC Irvine on June 29th as we walk for a cure? If you can't walk with us, please consider making a donation and let us do the walking!
 
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's (CCFA) mission is to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis through research, and to improve the quality of life of children affected by these digestive diseases through education and support.
 
CCFA Facts:
- CCFA was founded in 1967.
- Today Crohn's and colitis affect more than a million Americans.
- Approximately 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
- Each year, more than 150,000 children suffer from inflammatory
bowel disease.
 
Dollars raised will go toward:
- Summer camps for children with IBD (Emma LOVES camp!)
- Information and education for more than one million patients and
their families
- Support services and research programs
 
Together we can conquer these devastating diseases that target people of all ages in the prime of their lives. You have all seen what this disease has done to Emma, please help her in her fight!
 
With sincere hope for the future,
 
Kristen & Emma Sweaza 
 
P.S. Your contribution is fully tax deductible. Thanks again for your
support.