Join Champions of Discovery as we strive to find a cure for pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and improve the lives of thousands of children all over the country.
Ryan Pearlman was 15 when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, a debilitating and painful autoimmune disorder that afflicts more than 200,000 children and 800,000 adults in the United States alone.
Today, the charity he and his sister, Morgan, founded, Champions of Discovery, is creating awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, working to find better treatments and making those treatments available to all families with children who suffer from Pediatric IBD and Crohn's Disease.
Make your contribution today, and help Champions of Discovery bring innovative IBD therapies to kids who otherwise would have little hope.
To date, Champions of Discovery has raised over $500,000 with your generous support. 100% of the money raised has gone to the Children’s IBD Center at Mount Sinai Hospital, a world leader in the development of IBD therapies for children and where Ryan receives treatment.
The Children’s IBD Center has used these funds to support the creation of a comprehensive, evidence-based guidebook by converting treatment data they have collected over the past 15 years into useable information to be distributed to physicians across the country. When completed, this guidebook will be an unbiased tool critical in guiding treatment and counseling families. We hope to have the guidebook released by the end of 2013. With your help, we are well on our way to achieving our goal of educating, empowering and guiding the physicians and families of children with IBD with the vital knowledge of Dr. Keith Benkov and his center.
Champions of Discovery is also working to raise awareness of Pediatric IBD illness and its symptoms. Morgan Pearlman visits schools in the Dallas area to speak to students about Pediatric IBD, making them aware of the dangerous signs and breaking the stigma of discussing such an uncomfortable topic. It is only by recognizing the symptoms, speaking up and seeking treatment that children who are suffering from this disease are able to begin their journey of recovery.
Morgan is also able to influence change through her seat on the Junior Leadership Board at the Children's Hospital in Dallas. There, she met Dr. Ashish Patel and, through Champions of Discovery, was able to send him to New York to study with Dr. Keith Benkov at The Children's IBD Center at Mount Sinai Hospital to bring cutting-edge treatments to patients in the Dallas community.
"The Champions of Discovery Foundation is unique in the sense that it was founded by two children, one with Crohn's disease, who with their family, work tirelessly in the local and regional community as well as on the national level to raise awareness through education and research. The foundation provides much needed exposure to the chronic condition known as inflammatory bowel disease, both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Additionally, the foundation provides support for faculty, like myself, to gain mentorship from one of the leading institutions in the world in regards to inflammatory bowel disease, Mt Sinai Medical Center (Dr. Keith Benkov). Personally, this mentorship has led to collaborative projects and the sharing of medical knowledge that is vital to the care of any chronic illness."
- Dr. Ashish Patel, Pediatric Gastroenterology Specialist, Children's Medical Center – Dallas
All donations are tax-deductible and are handled through the PayPal secure online transaction system. Thank you for your support!
“I was very lucky, but most kids do not get the medical care they should.
It is only through research, training and your support that kids like me will be able to receive crucial treatments to allow us to live normal, healthy lives.”
- Ryan Pearlman
“It was difficult for me to see my big brother as sick as he was for so long without proper diagnosis and treatment. The recovery he made as soon as his doctors realized he was suffering from Crohn's Disease and sent him to The Children's IBD Center at Mount Sinai was incredible. It made me realize the importance of raising the awareness of Pediatric IBD so children and parents know the signs and symptoms to watch for and also to break the stigma of speaking up about these uncomfortable symptoms.”
- Morgan Pearlman
Presenting the proceeds from the first New York City Marathon team sponsored
by Champions of Discovery to the Children's IBD Center at Mount Sinai.
