Sunday June 2 marked the 10th edition of Crohn's and Colitis Canada's Gutsy Montérégie Walk at Maison Valois in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Nearly 70 people registered to raise awareness of research into inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The fun-filled walk was a great success, raising $26,000. 

Walk spokesperson Jennifer Loschiavo, who has been volunteering with the Guysy Montérégie Walk committee for the past 9 years, and has been walking for inflammatory bowel disease research for the past 10 years, told us that there was a lot of work to be done in the research area. There were a few new features at this year's walk: a yoga session, a game sheet to help get to know participants, and tickets for a half-and-half draw ($100 IGA gift card to be won).

The new spokesperson for 2024, Mégane Delisle, then took the stage and thanked all the volunteers who make the walk and fundraising activities such a success.

A group of young women who raised the 3rd highest amount for the walk, $2,600, were on hand with Sara's sister Julia, who has had Crohn's disease since she was 7-8 years old, wearing an ostomy bag. She was unable to walk because of the ups and downs of her disease. The group agreed, smiling, that group member Océane was “the member to have on your team”. She alone had raised $1,057.

Néomédia also met a mother with one of her sons, Geneviève and Adam, a soccer player. The latter confessed: “I've been very ill, three times very seriously, and I was in hospital for about a month and a half. Her son confided: “The first time she was in hospital for a month and a half, I thought she was going to die".

Sadly, these stories are not so rare in the context of inflammatory diseases, the causes of which are still unknown. Fortunately, progress has been made in recent years, thanks in part to research.

However, a large proportion of inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic. This means that, even if a sufferer has been in remission for several years, there is always a risk of relapse.

The main activity was preceded by a Zumba session led by Marinela De Medeiros Pires. This was followed by a 20-lap hike for the walkers, under a blazing sun. Participants did their best to complete it. An IGA market lunch followed the run, with a few raffles.

Over the past 10 years, the Gutsy Montérégie walk has raised $250,000 for research into inflammatory bowel disease. 

The cause of inflammatory bowel disease is still unknown. In Canada, 322,600 people were affected in 2023; 11,000 people were diagnosed in the same year - that's one person every 48 minutes. The most common forms of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

A wealth of information on IBD can be found on the Crohn's and Colitis Canada website.