No matter where you turn these days you see commercials and print ads
featuring #Hashtags, links to Facebook and Twitter pages, and QR codes
for corporate contests. However, social media isn't just for
advertisers; it’s for patients too.
Social networks are a means
for patients living with IBD who are located across the globe to reach
out to and communicate with one another. It was also the catalyst for
Michael A. Weiss to create the Crohn’s Disease Warrior Patrol (CDWP).
A Beautiful Idea
In the late fall of 2012, Weiss, a lawyer, author, and long-time Crohn’s disease survivor, blogged about the need for patient support from others who understand things that only other IBD patients can. A few weeks later, Weiss was contacted via social media about meeting with a young patient named Damon, his mothers, and his older brother.
Ivy Lindsay of Comfort Ostomy Covers by Ivy
was originally contacted by one of Damon’s moms to create personalized
ostomy covers for Damon, who was having a hard time coping with not one
but two stomas (ports in the abdomen that are used to remove waste from
the body). One of Weiss’ blog readers and Facebook friends who also
happens to be an IBD advocate, Jeffrey LeVine, told Lindsay to speak
with Weiss about her young client.
They talked at length about
the young patient and his needs, but something was still missing:
another IBD patient with an ostomy whom Damon could relate to. In came
Marisa Troy. LeVine introduced Troy into the fold, and few phone calls
later, arrangements were made for the trio to embark on their mission to
meet Damon and raise his spirits.
“Marisa was amazing with Damon and I was impressed with her ability to make him feel at ease while she was also being so candid about her own experiences,” Weiss said of Troy. You can read more about the CDWP’s inaugural visit with Damon here.
This was the kind of interaction Weiss envisioned when he blogged, “Patients helping patients is the best medicine.”
The Birth of a Non-Profit
After
meeting with Damon, Weiss embarked on a quest to expand the CDWP. He
wanted to create an organization to connect Crohn's "warriors" and
advocates with hospitalized IDB patients to offer them comfort and a
friendly, in-person visit.
Several of Weiss' social media contacts referred him to Alex Fair, CEO of Medstartr.com,
a website that utilizes crowd funding for healthcare start-ups. With
the help of Fair, a few lawyer friends, Wall Street financiers, and
Foundation executives, Weiss crafted a multi-phase business plan for the
CDWP and will file for Tax Exempt Status from the IRS as a Charitable
Foundation under section 501(c) 3 within the next few weeks.
The CDWP: Not Just for Crohn’s Patients
The CDWP is not just for Crohn’s patients, it’s for all IBD “warriors.” And through the Medstartr initiative, Weiss is hopeful that CDWP will be embraced by IBD medical practices, psychological practitioners, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies.
If you would like to become an IBD "warrior" helping other patients in your area, you can sign up at: http://crohnsdiseasewarriorpatrol.org/.
