For nearly twenty years, Josh Berman lived with symptoms that no one could quite explain. Doctor after doctor told him it was normal, that it was irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or that it was all in his head.
Four years ago, he finally received a diagnosis: ulcerative colitis.
After years of uncertainty, he felt relief to finally have a name for what he had been living with. For a while, the first treatment worked, and his symptoms faded.
But colitis doesn’t always stay quiet. Two years ago, he experienced a flare so severe that he ended up in the hospital. He lost 25 pounds in what felt like days. The usual treatments weren’t working. He couldn’t get through to his gastrointestinal (GI) doctor and felt quite alone.
When Josh stepped into the role of President and CEO at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, it felt different from any other position he had ever held. He had always been drawn to mission‑driven work, but this time, he could bring his whole self—both the professional and the personal—to the role.
His experience with colitis shapes everything he does at the organization. He understands the anxiety before a colonoscopy, the fear when a treatment stops working, and the quiet relief when it finally does. He understands how invisible these diseases can feel, and how deeply they affect every part of life.
That’s why he focuses on ensuring that the voices of those living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their caregivers are at the centre of everything Crohn’s and Colitis Canada does. Because behind every data point and research grant is a person trying to live their life with dignity and hope.
And there is real hope. But your support is needed to help fund more programs and ground‑breaking research that will help people living with IBD now.
New treatments are emerging every year, and with continued investment in research and patient programs, we’re moving toward something once unimaginable: preventing Crohn’s and colitis altogether.
Together, we can advance ground‑breaking research and fund essential programs to help people in their day‑to‑day journey and ensure that no one living with Crohn’s or colitis ever feels alone.