Personal Stories: Real People

The Giving Gene 

Cheryl Barish is one of the more than 800,000 Canadians who have witnessed the challenges and devastation that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can inflict on a loved one. She stands out in that crowd for how she has chosen to channel her caring and concern into action. Many years ago, when Cheryl was six and her brother Calvin was nine, Cheryl’s parents (Dorothy and Daniel Gutkin) had their hands full running a pharmacy and raising their two young children. Cheryl’s father was a well-known Winnipeg pharmacist - the “go-to guy” for his many customers, and he was never too busy to help people at work or when they called him at home.

Earl and Cheryl Barish

Suddenly at age 40, Daniel Gutkin was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He became very ill, underwent emergency surgery resulting in an ostomy and spent an entire year in the hospital. Meanwhile, Cheryl’s mother ran the pharmacy, looked after their children and visited him in the hospital.  Needless to say, it was a difficult time for the family.

Back in those days, ostomy equipment was not readily available and Cheryl remembers boxes arriving all the way from Minneapolis. In fact, her father was instrumental in establishing the network for getting ostomy supplies to Winnipeg. After his diagnosis, Daniel carried on and continued to live his life in an exemplary fashion. He counseled and helped people with ostomies if they came to see him privately, but he did not talk about his illness as if it was a handicap or something that held him back.

“Both my parents were extremely active in the community, and my brother and I absorbed that philosophy of life,” says Cheryl.

“My brother Cal is a family physician, and is now the CEO and Executive Director of The Canadian College of Family Physicians. My interests, as well as my careers - first as an orthoptist and then ultrasound technologist - have always included aspects of healing and nurturing. I think all of this came from the example our parents gave us, as well as their own strength and tenacity in the face of diversity.”

This legacy of community-mindedness played out several years ago when Cheryl Barish came across an advertisement for the Winnipeg Gala to benefit Crohn’s and colitis research. A cause close to her heart, Cheryl attended the event, and eventually got more involved to help grow the event. 

A busy travel schedule has prevented Cheryl from formally joining the Gala Committee, but Cheryl always finds a way to help. She offers the following tips to CCFC volunteers who are working on a gala or thinking of starting one:

“It’s true every gala needs a dedicated committee; however every dedicated committee appreciates a few extra hands to lighten the load. Here are three simple ways everyone can help their local gala, whether or not they’re on the committee:
• Commit to selling a certain number of tables (start with three and grow!).
• Think about whose services you, or your company, are using – then ask your banker, lawyer, supplier, builder, real estate agent etc. to sponsor the event.
• Brainstorm new recruits for the committee (just because you can’t join this year, doesn’t mean your brother, niece, aunt, friend, colleague etc.  wouldn’t enjoy the experience).
Cheryl and her husband Earl continue to contribute to the Gala in some major way every year in honour of her parents. Dorothy and Daniel Gutkin were together for 64 years before passing away within a week of each other in 2005, leaving behind a loving and growing family that includes Cheryl and Earl, Cal and his wife Mary, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

There is no doubt that Dorothy and Daniel Gutkin would be immensely proud of their daughter for her contribution to CCFC. In fact, they might have a chuckle that their daughter, whose last name earned her the childhood moniker “The Gut,” would now be so indispensible to the “gutsiest” organization in Canada - CCFC.

Road warriors take to the streets in the fight against IBD

In his own words, Gabriel Teyssedou of Montreal felt “useless” as he watched his younger brother Nicolas battle Crohn’s disease starting at the age of five. Through his teenage years, Nicolas got progressively sicker until he was hospitalized for an entire month. “That’s when I realized that I needed to do something. It is hard to accept being powerless, therefore I knew that I needed to contribute in some way,” says Gabriel. He decided to get involved with CCFC. At this point, Nicolas’ condition had deteriorated so rapidly that he needed part of his colon removed and a temporary stoma. He had to put his studies on hold for a semester to focus on his treatment. Regardless, his determination led him to pursue two classes while he was recovering at home.

“During the last 15 years, I have accompanied my brother as best I could but often felt useless on the sidelines. As time went by, I realised how Crohn’s disease was misunderstood not only in the medical community, but in society.

“Inspired by the courage and the determination of my brother, I decided to battle against Crohn’s in my own way. My battlefield was the road. I decided to raise funds by running a series of marathons and half-marathons in Montreal, Quebec city, Brome Lake and Ottawa.”

Gabriel is one of a virtual army of CCFC “road warriors.” In the past year, he has been joined by two other selfless young men who are running to raise funds and support their friends with Crohn’s disease.

Back in 2007, when he was just 16 years old, Austin Roth of London, Ontario decided he was not satisfied to simply run in his school’s cross-country high school meet. He wanted to create a companion event to raise money for a cause close to him as well.  He created a night-time run as a fundraiser for CCFC in honour of his good friend Ben Loyon, who battles Crohn’s disease.

“I remember seeing him on the edge, battling this condition when I was in high school and there was a chance for me to do something to help my friend,” Roth recently told The Londoner newspaper.

“But I was 16 and not sure how I could help. I went to visit him a few times and came up with the idea of doing the night time run for him. I made the run for Crohns and colitis for my friend Ben, and for my good friend Ezzie Batura, who also has the condition,” said Roth.

Wendy Clark had been battling Crohn’s for years before she met her future husband Dave in 2000. In 2006, Wendy and Dave had their son Ryan - prompting them to get more active in the search for IBD cures. At the time, Dave was a competitive distance runner, taking part in multiple events every year. He says he stopped at one point and thought: “Why am I travelling to everyone else’s events? Why not hold our own as a yearly fundraiser right here in Whistler?”

Dave started the Whistler Half Marathon in June 2011 to raise money for CCFC and the BC Children’s Hospital, causes Wendy and Dave had been supporting through a variety of fundraisers since 2002. The goal of 300 runners for Year One of the North Face Whistler Half Marathon was not only surpassed by nearly 600, but the event sold out more than nine weeks ahead of race day. A total of $7,400 was raised for CCFC.

And finally, a recent article in the Canadian running magazine iRun features eight-year-old Zachary Valiquette of Ottawa. Zachary set out to raise at least $500 in the 2011 Heel ‘n’ Wheel-a-Thon to support a close family friend who has Crohn’s disease. He collected pledges and even held a bake sale at school, raising over $1,100 for CCFC. “My little brother even gave me $2 from his piggy bank,” says Zachary. “Crohn`s is a terrible disease and causes the people who suffer from it to experience a lot of pain and discomfort.  It would be great to find a cure!” Similary, Gabriel Teyssedou set his sights low at first – his objective when he first reached out to CCFC was to raise $4,000.

CCFC provided Gabriel with a webpage where he could direct online donations and provide more information about his running schedule, and he took full advantage. “I solicited friends and family, but also corporations,” says Gabriel.” I even decided to sell advertisement space on my running shirt!” Gabriel raised an astounding $10,235 for CCFC that season.

Thanks to all of CCFC’s road warriors, we will reach the “cure” finish line that much faster!

Marty's Story: Book sale raises more than $2 million for IBD research

If there’s one thing Marty Cutler has learned in the past 15 years, it’s that people love to help. And he’s happy to give people an opportunity to do just that for the cause he believes in – IBD research.

Fairmount Books sees repeat customers year after year for the great deals and the opportunity to support a great cause.

Marty Cutler is the incoming Chair of CCFC’s Board of Directors and the owner of Fairmount Books, a company that sells books to online and storefront retailers. After his son Matthew was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 10, Marty began asking some of the publishers he worked with to donate to CCFC to support IBD research. Then a colleague suggested the company open its warehouse to host a book sale each year as well.

In the early years, the ratio of sales to donations each year was about $30,000 book sales to $16,000 donations. Now they average about $60,000 in donations and $110,000 in sales during the three-day event, which always takes place the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday in December.

Fifteen years and more than $2 million later, the Fairmount Book sale in Markham, Ontario is one of CCFC’s most successful fundraising events. It is an event people mark in their calendar months in advance, and for many people, it’s a key part of their holiday shopping strategy.

“There’s a steady stream of people from the moment we open on Friday morning until the moment we close Sunday afternoon,” says Nikki Shikatani, Marketing and Promotions Specialist for Fairmount Books. “People spend hours here, and we see many of the same people year after year. The regulars even bring their own stools so they can sit while they check out the books … and wagons to carry the books around.”

The work that goes into this fundraising event is considerable, and occurs virtually year-round as the Fairmount Books staff work to request donations from publishers and promote the event as widely as possible. The warehouse itself shuts down for a week before the sale begins – no other orders are processed while the warehouse is converted into a giant retail space, books are shelved, debit machines are installed and tested, and posters are distributed far and wide. Every one of the company’s 33 employees has a role in the sale.

“It is a lot of work, but it’s something so huge and positive, everyone wants to participate,” says Nikki. “We feel great about the cause, because we all know it’s so close to Marty’s heart. And when you’ve been involved for a while, you come to realize just how many people are affected by IBD.”

Marty says motivating his staff has never been a challenge. In fact, many former employees continue to come back each year to take on some of the more than 150 volunteer shifts needed to run the sale each year.

“We do it with heart, that’s our motivation,” says Marty. “It’s not only for those 200,000 people we know are diagnosed, but for those who aren’t diagnosed yet.”

“I see this contribution to CCFC as an insurance policy for those people who may have whatever it is in their systems that causes IBD – and for me, that means my four grandchildren.”

The Fairmount Books sale takes place December 2, 3 and 4 this year at 120 Duffield Drive in Markham, Ontario.

Tales from the Throne

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects over 200,000 Canadians and claims approximately 9,000 new cases every year. In spite of the challenges these individuals face, there are heroes who rise above their suffering and snatch back their lives from the grip of this chronic disease.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) knows some of these courageous Canadians and we would like to share their stories with you. You will find these heroes at CCFC fundraising events such as the Heel ‘n’ Wheel-a-Thon, M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Days, Fall Fundraisers, Chapter meetings and education sessions. Wherever there is a need for help, these gutsy Canadians are there with willing hearts and minds, determined to rise above IBD and be part of the solution.

Tales from the Throne is a compilation of short stories put together by the CCFC's Gutsy Generation. The stories are personal experiences. They are not intended to give medical guidance but to demonstrate the incredible impact that Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis has on a person's life. $5 from every book raised will be put towards research to find the cure for inflammatory bowel disease.