| Orange County Take Steps Sunday, June 26, 2011 Aldrich Park at UC Irvine Registration start, 4 p.m.; walk start, 5 p.m. Donate at cctakesteps.org/orangecounty Visit Miller’s blog at thechroniclesofcrap.blogspot.com |
Constant discomfort, six abdominal surgeries and severe fatigue haven’t stopped Orange County resident Allison Miller. In fact, she is stronger.
Her daily fight against ulcerative colitis, and activism through education and other support efforts for the cause have earned her the title of Honored Hero of the 2011 Orange County Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis, a two-mile walk-a-thon at Aldrich Park in Irvine.
Miller, 31, is one of the 1.4 million Americans suffering from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and severe pelvic cramping, among other devastating symptoms.
Diagnosed at 22, the disease started taking over her life two years later. Experiencing physical limitations because of her disease motivated her to talk to others about what she was going through and so she created a blog. She also become an active part of raising funds for Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, which puts on Take Steps.
Take Steps is the nation’s largest event dedicated to finding cures for digestive diseases. The walk-a-thon is on Sunday, June 26, starting at 4 p.m. and is geared to raise funds for patient and research programs in Orange County.
