Lauren Cullop is a longtime IBD mom and Crohn's & Colitis Foundation volunteer. Her son, Ravi, became severely ill when he was one year old and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis two years later. He tried various medications and therapies over the years before undergoing three surgeries to remove his colon at age eleven. At thirteen years old, he was also diagnosed with celiac disease. With time and a gluten-free diet, Ravi's health finally began to improve. He has gone a record number of years without being hospitalized and is now a thriving, mostly healthy college sophomore!
Ravi began attending Camp Oasis in the summer of 2017, which he loved. That year, their family also formed Take Steps team, "Jabba the Gut," and has been going strong ever since. Ravi was the 2019 Take Steps Honored Hero and spoke at the walk about his experience as an IBD patient. Lauren has served on the Take Steps and Hops & Vines planning committees for the last several years, and joined the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Northwest Chapter Board in 2022. Lauren now wants to share her experience with other IBD parents and caregivers. She has started a virtual support group so caregivers of all kinds can come together to share stories, advice, and support.
Camp Oasis Registration is Now Open
Camp Oasis 2023 registration is now open! Camp Oasis is a life-changing summer camp just for kids and teens with IBD, where they can try new things, gain confidence, and create life-long friendships with others who understand them. For those who prefer a virtual experience, CampOasis@Home offers an online program full of fun and interactive activities. Register your camper or sign up to be a volunteer today! Learn more and register at www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/camps.
Camp Oasis of Washington
July 30th-August 4th, 2023
YMCA Camp Colman in Longbranch, WA
Campers: entering grades 2-11 in fall of 2023
Leaders in Training: entering grades 11-12 in fall of 2023
Volunteers: minimum age of 18 years old
New Resource: Gut Friendly Recipes
Our Gut Friendly Recipes site has officially launched! The free online recipe tool has more than 500 easy recipes for gut-friendly and nutritious meals and offers a broad selection of recipes for both IBD patients and anyone seeking gut friendly meals. It allows for users to customize meals for their needs and select from recipes for multiple diet types include low FODMAP, SCD and Mediterranean. You can also filter based on certain dietary exclusions such as dairy free or exclude specific ingredients such as tree nuts. And, so much more!
