Oct 29, 2025 - Oct 29, 2025 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ET Ask the Expert: Caregiving and IBD Are you supporting someone with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or living with IBD while providing care to someone else? You're not alone. Join our free Ask the Expert event designed to support and empower caregivers through a live conversation with: Amy Coupal, CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) Nicole Varshney, a dedicated caregiver and advocate for children living with IBD What you’ll gain: A deeper understanding of what it means to be a caregiver in the context of IBD Insights into the emotional and physical impact of caregiving, and how to manage it Access to practical tools and resources to help you care for others while caring for yourself Real-life stories and advice from those who’ve been there Date: Wednesday, October 29 Time: 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ET How to register: If you're already a member of our Crohn’s and Colitis Connect online community, RVSP for the event now. Not interested in becoming a member but still want to be a part of the Ask the Expert event? Complete our registration form. What you should know: This free event is offered in English with live simultaneous French interpretation. Due to personal or sensitive information that event participants may share; this event will NOT be recorded. We cannot provide individual or personalized medical advice. You can ask your questions ahead of time when you register or during the event. Speaker biographies Amy Coupal CEO, Ontario Caregiver Organization Amy Coupal is the CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO), a charitable organization that exists to support Ontario’s 4 million caregivers who provide physical and/or emotional support to family members, partners, friends and neighbours. A visionary leader with over 20 years' experience in the not-for-profit sector, Amy is passionate about positively impacting the lives of individuals and communities. The impact of this work is demonstrated through the breadth of programs and services available to family caregivers across Ontario, as well as the early successes of embedding caregiving in the culture of healthcare and the amplification of the voices of caregivers to influence decision-making at a system level. Amy has a deep understanding of the benefits and challenges associated with caregiving. As a caregiver for most of her life, Amy helped to support her brother who had Cerebral Palsy. She was also a caregiver to her mother throughout her cancer journey and now supports her father through older adulthood. Nicole Varshney Caregiver and IBD Advocate Nicole Varshney lives in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a dedicated caregiver and advocate for children living with IBD. Her journey began when her daughter was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis just before her 16th birthday. This was a life-changing experience that introduced Nicole and her family to the complex realities of pediatric IBD and long-term caregiving. Over the past three years, Nicole has learned to navigate everything from hospitalizations and medication changes to the daily impacts of living with an unpredictable and invisible illness. Nicole has been a volunteer with Crohn’s Colitis Canada for the last two years. Have questions? Have questions about this Ask the Expert event? Email us at learn@crohnsandcolitis.ca. If you’re unable to attend, stay tuned for upcoming events on Crohn’s and Colitis Connect or our website. Location • Virtual - Online Category • edu