Welcome to the Plaza's CURE for IBD personal fundraising page!

I have decided to keep doing what I can to help spread awareness and find a cure.  I have seen firsthand what Crohn's disease does to the human body.  My son, Javier, has battled it for 16 years now, and I also stood next to my little cousin as he took his last breath due to complications from Crohn's.  Along the way I have met and become friends with many others who also suffer every day.  On top of that, my daughter, Lydia, suffers with IBS herself.

My first 2017 fundraising event is:

The Brooklyn Half Marathon in May!

One of the most important things is that NONE of your donations will pay for my event expenses OR Cure for IBD's adminstrative expenses:  100% of all donations will be allocated to CURE for IBD's mission of funding RESEARCH and finding CURES!

I can't stop now and will continue to ask my family and friends to support me in my mission to find a cure, so one day no one else has to go through what Javier and so many others endure every day of their lives.  Someday, hopefully family members like me don't have to feel helpless anymore.

One day, we will CRUSH CROHN'S AND COLITIS.

Thank you all in advance.
Thomas and Javier

The mission of CURE for IBD is to fund research towards new therapies and cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. CURE for IBD was founded by parents who have dedicated themselves to finding a cure for their children and everyone else living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. CURE for IBD does not pay any participant event or travel expenses, and only funds research with the goal of finding cures sooner.

Over 1.6 million Americans (1 in 200) are affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, insidious and debilitating diseases in which the immune system attacks the digestive system. These are life-long chronic conditions that often result in extended hospital stays and the need for multiple surgeries over a person's lifetime. Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, along with many of the medications used to manage IBD, lead to an increased risk of cancer and other conditions. Complications can be life-threatening or fatal.

Children are the fastest-growing population being diagnosed, sometimes before the age of 1, and their symptoms are often more severe.