Toronto Immune and Digestive Health Institute

"When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an incurable autoimmune condition that causes chronic gastrointestinal inflammation. For the past 20+ years, my life has been a cycle of various treatments and medications just to keep my own body from attacking itself. Yet, I consider myself incredibly blessed. I was diagnosed early and have always had access to great medical care. Over the years, I’ve met many others battling Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) who have faced far tougher medical hurdles than I have. Their resilience is something I carry with me every single day. This is the first time I am broadly sharing my Crohn’s journey. This November, I am fighting to raise money for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. This cause is deeply urgent: CRC is now the leading cause of cancer-related death in adults under 50. Because chronic IBD significantly increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer, this fight is deeply personal to me. In "Haymakers for Hope," the operative word is hope. As a kid enduring endless colonoscopies, "hope" was the large pizza my mom promised me after every procedure. As a preteen receiving 6-to-8-hour IV infusions in the hospital, "hope" was being told I could go see a movie later. Today, as an adult living with Crohn's, "hope" means helping patients afford medical care for CRC, increasing knowledge and access to screening tools, and furthering medical research. My coach tells me to visualize the knockout punch and having my arm raised on November 5th. I can’t predict the future, but I know one thing with absolute certainty: everyone competing in and contributing to this effort to knockout cancer is already a winner. But make no mistake — I’m also boxing to win 😁" - Shawn T. Make your fundraiser idea a reality — start yours: bit.ly/26-C2C-X