Oprah's Big Give

[marissa97amy]

hi, im 13, i was diagnosed allmost a year ago with crohns, i had it for about 2 years undiagnosed, i had lost alot of weight, & every1 thought i had an eating disorder which really made me qeustion myself, i have one of the most severist cases my gi has every seen, in a child or adult. i have taken all of the differnt kinds of medicines, & they havent wokred or im allergic, im currently on humera & its working well!!!, i hope u & every1 who commetned can raise awarens about crohns !

- marissa

[Dimplezz226]

hi my name is leah && i just got diagnosed with crohn's 5 months it has taken the, about a year just to relize that i had it but still they have not putt me on any meds i honestly dont no what my next step in life with this is or what on down the road but i would love to qo to one of these camps bc i had no clue that soo many ppl had this i thoght it was somthinq not alot of ppl had but i also didnt no they had camp but that vid mad me cry it was so amazinq qood job && keep it uhp god bles you

[jOeCoOL9111]

i just got diginosed yesterday and it took them a year to diginose me ive been to 20 some odd doctors before some one figured it.

[myrnarocks]

keep up the great work!  and god bless you. i had a friend who had crohn's and i think what you are doing is amazing.

[basketballfan300]

hi i have crones too, i just turned 12 and i have had it since second grade. lately i just got surgery from it, and i havent been doing that well. i wish i was a lucky as you. i am jewish and for my bat mizva project i am raising money for the camp that helps crones and colitice too. i hope that sooner or later they find a cure. i admire you soo much, and i hope that you stay healthy.

[PENWESTERN]

Thank you! You bring so much beauty and energy to the crohns cause.

I have had crohns since 1999 and am currently recovering from a flare up right now.

Keep up your good work for crohns awareness.

Most people have no understanding. Even those of us with CD often are surprised by this mysterious disease.  For me it is very unpredictable.

Thank you and God Bless!

[hilariepse]

inspiring.i was diagnosed with it too...at age 16 and now my life has took a different path...i was on every drug, i got my colon removed..and gone through 4 surgeries..i want to know if i can start a crohns awareness where i live and raise money to find the cure!!!! i live in Hawaii and this song itself made me inspired even more....what can i do to help?

[superstarz711]

I have crohn's too! i was just diagnosed this past week. I will be on steroids for 3 months so i don't have to have it for too long! I'm pretty skinny, (78lbs and 4 7") I really want to go to camp oasis in PA. (I don't live in PA) And I don't wanna get picked on from the steroids! If anyone wants to talk about it they can send me a message!

~Ali

[meenky2]

my mother and husband both are living with crohn's. some days are good some are bad. my husband just started humeria. i to wish oprah would do a show on crohn's. most of my friends have no clue what it was when i told them that he was having problems with it. good luck, maybe all our voices together can be heard someday. i have 3 small children and worry daily if they will develop this horriable disease as well. happy holidays!

[LindsayAndTaylorShow]

i have crohnss too!! i got diagnosed last year and was in the hospital for 5 weeks. i was on prednisone and my face got soo chubby. it helped turn my life around though because now i am really healthy and i do so many sports to stay in shape. im also going to ccfa this coming summer to meet other ppl.

[cheer4u93]

i have crohn's too!!

i was on prednisone and my face got huge and everyone made fun of me....i was called chipmunk cheeks...but i'm doing better after my surgery! :)

[casey4ccfa]

I'm 11 and have had UC since I was a baby! I love Camp Oasis!!!

You did an awesome job on this video. I have a CCFA speech I gave on youtube.

[behappyitssummer]

i have crohn's too. i was diagnosed when i was 5 and i am now 14. my sister was ccfa's woman of the year i think last year or the year before, i cant remember. i loooooove camp oasis soooo much! good luck with whatever you do:)

[partygirl3493]

This is such a wonderful video and it's amazing what you're doing to help Crohns patients. I also have Crohns and go to Camp Oasis. However, I go to the one in Pennsylvania. Going there has changed my life and made me a better person. I understand what I have better than I did before. And I was able to meet a bunch of new friends that understand what Im going through. Good luck with your Project CURE.

Also, I was wondering where I could buy one of your bracelets. Is there a website?

[oxxDEbStErxxo]

i have crohn's disease. I am going to join a research project so we can find a cure. I luckily haven't got a flare up in a while. I hope not to get one this winter either.

[katieklinect]

Thank you for all of your hard work!

[loatsee]

hey laurel~~~ its aimee, i love the video a lot, ur a great person and have a lot of hope and faith, i wish i had a spirit like ur's u make it a better world for some people for sure!!! You've done a great job spreading awarness!!im so glad we got to meet!! ur a great person! in these pics zach is so little!!! he's cute! and i love camp O!!! everyone that has crohns or colitis should go, my first year rocked!!! i wouldn'd trade it for the world!! u make me proud to have this!! loveya laurel!!

[sassyxoerin]

i am erin and i am 10 and i was diagnosed with crohn's 5 months ago i am going to camp in new york and i am meeting more people with it i thought i was the only one with it for a while now i no im not alone

[laureljaclyn]

I am sorry to hear about your Crohn's! Camp is a really great way to meet other people that have it. I was diagnosed when I was 9 and it took my parents 4 years to convince me to go.  Good for you for being able to go right away! I hope you like it!

Laurel

[laureljaclyn]

Camp O definitely rocks! It is one of the best parts about summer! Are you going again this year?

I am glad you enjoyed the video!

Laurel

[srugal8504]

i have crohn's and celiac. it gives a different light on life. yes it is a nightmare at times, but somewhere over the rainbow is happiness.

[laureljaclyn]

I am glad to find that so many people are able to see all of the good times greatly outweigh the bad. When ever anyone is having a bad day they just have to look at a person like you and see how positive your attitude is in order for them to feel better. I hope you know that you are helping someone each day just because of your amazing outlook on life!

Keep it up!

Laurel

[GSRGOPEDRIDER247]

my sis has this

[laureljaclyn]

I'm sorry to hear that... :(

[GSRGOPEDRIDER247]

she can't swallow pills either...

[BreeSkreeBrutal]

I was diagnosed when i was 10 and now im 16.

and what you did for people with crohn's is so wonderful.

I dont kno you at all but this video makes me so proud of you.:]

and love to chat with you some time.

[laureljaclyn]

Thanks for your words of encouragement! It means a lot to me to know that I am helping others that are going through the same thing. I hope to find a way to get other teenagers like you involved sometime in the future!

[tylerowns777]

hi,

im 13 and am about to be diagnosed with chrons. infact ill find out tommorow to be officaly diagnosed but the doctor siad i have all the visibale sings of chrons during my byopsy. i just wanted to tell you your video if realy insitefull and you encouraged me to raise awarness about chrons!

keep it up

[laureljaclyn]

tylerowns777,

I am very sorry to hear about your diagnoses. Not knowing for sure is the hardest part. Once diagnosed, it is almost easier because there is to much that doctors can do to help your symptoms. I hope you have lots of healthy times to come!

Laurel

[laureljaclyn]

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I have had a bad couple of days, and the hard ones really give you a reality check. I enjoy educating people about the disease that wouldn't otherwise know about it, but it is even better to help people that are dealing with the same problems. Thank you for being a part of this!

Laurel

[mopcopsop]

Laurel, Love your video. Noticed it was added 3/5/08 which happened to be my Daughter, Nicole's 26th Birthday. Nicole was diagnosed Crohn's/Colitis at age 17. Keep up the good work bringing about awareness! There just is not enough of it. I am tired of it being stuck in the closet in comparison to so many other chronic diseases that are in the forefront. Scared that my Daughter is coming close to the end of the current FDA approved IBD med line. Wishing you Happy Healthy Days! You Rock!

[laureljaclyn]

I too have noticed that there are certain chronic disease that are labeled as "glamorous," not to say that they aren't equally as bad or worse for that matter. But, part of education has to do with people feeling comfortable with letting their peers know why they act or feel the way they do without being afraid they will be laughed at or made fun of. I know of a lot of people that have been in that situation. We aren't going to find a cure if we hide from our problems.

Laurel

[arb2792]

I really like what you are doing with project cure. I am part of the NJ chapter and go to camp Oasis in PA. I have to agree I love it and it is the best part of my summer. I have made some of my best friends there. My dad is on the CCFA NJ board. We write letters to raise awareness and funds for camp oasis in the summer. We also started to get involved with the apparel that is now on sale. We also hold a basketball tournament to raise money. I am trying to do something through my school!!

[arb2792]

i just randomly decided to search CCFA and was touched to see your video. i am 16 and have had crohn's for 7 years now. i am involved with my local ccfa chapter and have been attending camp oasis for many years now. i think its great that you are so invovled and would love to hear more about project cure and everything else that you have been doing.

[laureljaclyn]

I'm so glad you found my vid!! Which chapter do you belong to? Where do you go for Camp O? I love it there...it is totally the best week of summer! : )

As for project CURE (communication, Understanding, respect education), I sell make and sell bracelets for $20. I have raised about $4000 so far, and all the proceeds go to Camp O. I have a couple big events coming up and I hope to double the proceeds to $8000 by the time camp comes around!

Laurel

[laureljaclyn]

PS- I would really like to know about some of the stuff you are doing as well!!!

xoxo,

Laurel

[tada21090]

If you don't mind me asking what were the side effects of taking the steroids?

[laureljaclyn]

the most common side effects of steriods include a puffy face, weight gain, hyperness, and retaining water. However, every person reacts to them differently and they can also be different depending on the dose...

[tada21090]

i was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease! The pills i am on now are not doing their job because i am still in a lot of pain. I hope that they will eventually find a cure. You are doing a good job to help! thank you! :)

[laureljaclyn]

depending on how long you have been on them, they may take a while to reach their full potential...

There are a lot of options treatment wise, so give it some time and if they still aren't helping, talk to your doctor about other options. :-)

[laureljaclyn]

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I know it probably seems hard right now, but I promise there are gifts this disease will bring you amongst all of the hard times. Don't let any good moment go unnoticed, because all the good times will keep you in the mind needed to fully recover. I wish you the best of luck and a fast recovery.

best,

Laurel

[Misheell101]

at the starting who is that ?

[laureljaclyn]

It's me.

[populergirl]

i cant wait to see opras big give!!!!!!!!!!!!

[laureljaclyn]

Me too! ;-)

[NamasteSABA]

I am 26 and I have CD. Thank you for helping to find a cure.

[bigyelotaxi86]

I'm 21 and have had CD since i was 10. everyday has been a nightmare with not much hope in sight. this video made me cry like a baby! lol thank you so much for everything you've done..thank you so much. god be with us all

[laureljaclyn]

Thank you so much for your comment! Most of my mission has to do with making sure people with CD don't feel alone. When a comment like what you posted comes along, It makes me fell like I am finally accomplishing something... instead of using the amount of money raised as a sense of accomplishment. I want to help give hope to people like you hope that life will be okay if we do more until we find the cure that is somewhere in our future. I hope you can find the hope that is in our world!

[123Sanin123]

whats the song !!

nice vid btw ;)

[laureljaclyn]

The first and last songs are from RENT and the middle one is by IZ. Its a mix between somewhere over the rainbow and What a Wonderful World.

[amband212]

beautiful viedo

[jeankanter]

Wow, Laurel your Oprah video is simply wonderful. You did such a nice job. I have watched it twice already and love it every time.

[laureljaclyn]

Thanks, Baubie!!! ; - )

[deoso22]

My father has Crohns I see the pain he suffers daily, He is unable to do the thing he used to. You are an amazing young women, thank you for all you do to makre our world a better place.Good luck with all you do.