No one knows why there is an increase in IBD Crohn’s in children these days, says Prof. Michael Wilschanski, Director of the Paediatric Gastroenterology Unit at Hadassah-University Medical Centre. He’s had patients as young as six months old. He adds a new patient to the roster of Crohn’s kids every week. There are theories but no proof of genetic, environmental and immunological origins.
Although Crohn’s disease is two to four times more prevalent among people of Ashkenazi ancestry, compared to those of non-Jewish European ancestry, to borrow Wilschanski’s words, “No one is exempt from this disease, in which the body turns on its own digestive system”. Kids with Crohn’s suffer from abdominal pain, fatigue and, worst of all, severe diarrhoea. Imagine what living with it is like for a child or teen. Medication, particularly the new biological medicines, help a lot, but there are side effects, and there is no cure.
So Wilschanski and his team – led by Dr. Zev Davidovics, a Paediatric Gastroenterologist invited their patients and families for a get-together at Hadassah in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem:
“They came from Mea She’arim to Ramallah,” he said. The doctors would update everyone on new directions of treatment, but the most important part was the camaraderie which they hoped to create.
To help break down the barriers, Wilschanski invited a team of Playback Theatre actors where the audience shares key terms, associations and stories from their own lives, and the actors immediately improvise a play with what they hear. So the parents – bareheaded, wigs, hijabs – and patients shared the phrases that described their lives. Wrote one of the patients, “We had such an amazing time. I needed that laugh so badly, and I don’t think I ever laughed like that about my Crohn’s.”
“The Playback was an icebreaker,” said Wilschanski. “The next thing we knew, the teens from all ethnicities were mingling around the food buffet and exchanging stories and life strategies for living with the disease.” They shared school experiences and how they coped with the outbreaks and medications. 70 families – took part in that evening and feasted on the kosher bagels, fish and salads. Eating healthy food is a strong suggestion.
“This was a relaxed evening with plenty of time to ask and answer questions. Representatives of the Israel Foundation for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis came, too,” Wilschanski said.
In the way of teens, phone numbers for texting and WhatsApp groups were exchanged. That can help with the isolation, the embarrassment and, yes, the bullying. Jews, Christians, Muslims spent an evening when they felt safe talking about their fears, shame and hopes.
So when the children and teens as well as their parents, who are helping them to cope both with the diagnosis and the reality of an incurable disease – find those who share their illness and maybe their genes, yes, I think it’s a bridge for peace.
When we see ourselves on the same side, with a common challenge, that common challenge builds ties that matter and last. The best proof is to be able to unite in a moment of shared laughter.
Editors notes:
This is an excerpt from an opinion piece by Barbara Sofer, the Israel Director of Public Relations at Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Her latest book is ‘A Daughter of Many Mothers.’
Click HERE to read the full article.
