Ronan Osachoff has battled Crohn's disease his entire life.
The 14-year-old Terry Fox secondary student was diagnosed with the debilitating disease at the age of six and, for the past six years, he has had to travel to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver for remicade infusions every eight weeks.
The Port Coquitlam teen has also been on an immune suppressant drug called Imuran since 2010.
"Every day you worry," his mother Caroline Brooks said, "but, with the medication, he's been pretty good."
On bad days, Osachoff can't stomach food — the pain in his gut is so intense he can only drink protein shakes. Still, he often gets told he doesn't look sick and faces questions from his peers and adults.
"He struggles with that a lot," Brooks said. "Some people don't believe him."
It's a story they hear often from other suffers of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis despite their growing numbers: One in every 150 Canadians has Crohn’s or colitis, a rate that has doubled for children under 10 over the past 20 years.
To build awareness about the disease and to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, the family has taken part in the annual Gutsy Walk, and the 21st edition will happen on Sunday at the Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley. Osachoff is this year's honorary chair.
Charity spokesperson C.K. DesGrosseilliers said organizers expect to bring in $3.5 million from more than 60 June 5 Gutsy Walks across Canada from 20,000 participants. As of this week, the Fraser Valley walk had made it halfway to its fundraising goal.
Brooks said the walk is a good way to meet other people with the disease.
"We get families and relatives out to see what's being done and hear about the progress that's being made," she said, adding, "There's no cure for this.
There are so many kids at BC Children's coping with this disease."
• The Fraser Valley Gutsy Walk starts at 10:30 a.m. at Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley. To register, visit gutsywalk.ca.
