introducing ibd connects empowered by ibd program

This month, we are thrilled to feature a special guest blog by Lisa Fournier, Founder and Executive Director of IBD Connect. In this exclusive post, Lisa shares an insider's look into the motivation behind our upcoming program launch, scheduled for September 1st, 2024. More details about this new program, titled “Empowered by IBD” are available now on our main website. Enjoy the post!

In an effort to share my vision for our newest program, Empowered by IBD, I first sought out the definition of “empowered” to fully express what I had envisioned for this program.

Oxford Languages states the definition as “make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.”

Collins Dictionary states “To empower someone means to give them the means to achieve something.”

Mirriam-Webster defined “empowered” as “having the knowledge, confidence, means, or ability to do things or make decisions.”

Wikipedia adds “Empowerment as action refers both to the process of self-empowerment and to professional support of people, which enables them to overcome their sense of powerlessness and lack of influence, and to recognize and use their .”

Each definition is similar and involves taking control and making positive choices. These definitions embrace control, resourcefulness, and achievement. Somehow, these do not seem like they would be applicable to a patient with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, as these are both debilitating illnesses that affect an individual's quality of life, and to be empowered assumes a positive outcome. At IBD Connect, we aim to grow our patients and their families to this point of positivity by accompanying them on the journey from diagnosis to empowerment. While the illness in and of itself is not a positive outcome, the impact that can be made via this illness can be. My favorite motto, “it is 10% what you get and 90% what you do with it” has never been a truer statement, and empowerment comes from the 90% that you react with. By initiating opportunities for our families to reach this level with their illness, we hope to solidify what Wikipedia states and eliminate the powerlessness and lack of influence that IBD often brings.

Stating our mission once again, to support, engage, and empower pediatric IBD patients and their families, we bring our attention to the first two portions of it. The support and engagement components are clearly seen through several of our current programs. When first joining any of our groups, we provide a welcome gift for each child along with a handwritten note to show our support as an IBD community. We connect our new families with others in similar disease situations, encouraging them to join a support group or reach out to other families. Parents/guardians are given the opportunity to meet with other caregivers of a child diagnosed with IBD during our Virtual Caregiver Support Group meetings, while our Virtual Young Adult Support Group is available for diagnosed IBD patients ages 16-30. There are meetings, activities and events that engage them in learning about the illness and how to manage and thrive each day with it. Other families are an amazing resource and we have seen strong bonds resulting from similar situations. Hospitals are given Warrior Bags to distribute to new IBD patients upon diagnosis to support and engage them within the larger IBD community. Additionally, IBD Connect offers financial resources, such as our financial assistance program and scholarship program. These resources are meant to be a means in which to further support pediatric IBD patients and their families. Each step of the way, we encourage the connection with others so that no one ever feels alone and has the opportunity to make the relationships that are pivotal to their family.

When taking a look at our mission statement in its entirety, it was apparent to me that there was not enough focus on the empowerment portion. To be empowered, one will have exactly what Wikipedia indicated in the first paragraph. I distinctly remember several group members who came repeatedly to the meetings for several years. As time marched on, I could see the confidence grow as the shyness around others faded, the knowledge grew as the involvement in the group increased, and the means to do things or make decisions grew as the fear disappeared. All of those components of being empowered were there! I could truly see them in the kids and their families. But, the question for those who had achieved it at this point is: What does it serve to have this and not do anything with it?

Let me take a step back to my own journey. I do not have IBD. My journey was that of a parent of a child with IBD. Along my 21 year journey thus far, I have made numerous mistakes as well as numerous positive decisions for my child. The entire time was a huge learning experience for me as it is for anyone living with IBD in this manner. The questions I presented myself with were:

What am I going to do with this?

How can I help someone else avoid some of those mistakes that I made?

What can I do with this knowledge and ability to help others?

Thus came IBD Connect, but that is truly a story for another blog. The point of this trip back to memory lane is not to tell you that I did wonderful things for others, it is to tell you that doing things for others is wonderful for YOU. There is a feeling unlike any other when you truly touch a life and enhance it in even the smallest of ways. The power of having the knowledge to help others becomes empowerment when it is shared.

I wish I could take credit for saying how helping others makes you feel, however, millions of people beat me to that one! There are many idioms indicating that helping others actually makes you feel better. To quote a few:

“The most precious thing I have to give is my time” -Silvia Hartmann

“Once you start helping others it makes you feel better about yourself” -Lance Bass

“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal” -Steve Maraboli

“At the end of the day it's not about what you have or even about what you've accomplished. It's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back” -Denzel Washington (YES, my favorite)

Having an illness like IBD may certainly make you feel like NOT giving back. Honestly, one usually wants to pay it forward when they receive a great blessing, not a chronic illness that affects the entire family. Perspective is everything my friends, and certainly no different this time. I have received well over 300 blessings in the form of the families I have met because of my daughters' illness. I have seen numerous friendships form amongst group members, bonds that will always be like family. I have seen the resilience and courage in our IBD kids that has led them to achieve great things and choose selfless paths of life. Most importantly, I have seen IBD beat these kids down, only to have them rise again, more powerful than before.

So, the reason for all this lead up is to introduce you to a brand new program to fit the need for those who are feeling they are ready to be empowered by their IBD! Fittingly, it is called the IBD Empowerment Program, and I am going to encourage you to read through it, talk about it, ask questions and see if it is right for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to become creative and pay it forward at the same time. If you are comfortable in your journey, this is the time to jump in and become a bit uncomfortable, as that is where your personal growth happens. There is always a need to be filled, an idea to be presented, a new patient to be helped. This is your time to shine, your time to use your skills and knowledge, and your time to truly help others.

How does your involvement in this program begin and how does it benefit those around you? These are two of the most anticipated questions I will receive. First, take a visionary view through your IBD journey. What was difficult for you? What did you lack that would have made things easier or avoided a complication? Was there a point where you wished you had more information, and possibly that information could eliminate a stressful situation? What portion of a support system was lacking for you? These, and many other possible questions, are where the ideas for change originate. By evaluating what may have been wrong for you, there is the opportunity to make it right for the next person. This is how positive change begins. This is where many of our families are at, and this is where the program begins.

If you are interested in the specifics of the program, please feel free to reach out to Lisa Fournier at or call 508-395-2278.

At the launch of this program on September 1st, we will share the blog of an amazing young man, , who took his journey with IBD to the level of empowerment, and is now sharing his story with others! His journey is remarkable and has led him to a career as a surgeon. Join us back here on September 1st for his amazing story and the launch of our newest program!

As Lisa mentioned, IBD Connect's Empowered by IBD Program will officially launch September 1st, 2024. This is the date that you can sign-up for the program! Until then, more information about this program is available for your review by clicking the link below. We can't wait to see the creative ways you can benefit the IBD community. As always, stay strong IBD Warriors!