IBD patients ‘embrace the everyday’ in European campaign | Takeda Stories

With help from a fashion photographer, people with inflammatory bowel disease share their stories to inspire others that normal life is possible after diagnosis

This article includes real-life patient experiences. Individual experiences may vary. This information is available to the general public for informational purposes only; it should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health condition or disease. It is not intended to substitute for consultation with a health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for further advice. Participants have received compensation from Takeda for their participation.

Jeroen was in his early twenties and had embarked on his dream job as a teacher in the Netherlands. He had just met the woman who would become his wife. And he was pursuing his love of music as a techno DJ. He felt that life could hardly be better.

Then things started going downhill. Rapidly. He experienced increasingly painful stomach problems. And tests revealed he had ulcerative colitis (UC), which along with Crohn’s disease is one of the two main conditions associated with the potentially severe gastrointestinal illness, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Years of frequent hospital visits and medications followed, culminating in Jeroen being rushed to an intensive care unit and doctors telling him he was going to lose part of his intestine. His dreams were starting to unravel. At that time, he felt that his life was at its worst.

What’s changed? Well, Jeroen is in remission from his UC thanks to effective therapy. And he’s happy to tell his story as part of a Takeda campaign in Europe, which aims to raise public awareness of our long-standing and continuing commitment to IBD.

“I wanted to share my story because I thought it would be inspiring for other patients and people in general,” he says. “I went from extremely sick to just a normal person living his life. I know what it is to feel miserable and have no hope. But I also now know what it’s like to get better, to feel good about yourself again.”

“I know what it is to feel miserable and have no hope. But I also now know what it’s like to get better, to feel good about yourself again.”

Jeroen, ulcerative colitis (UC) patient

This is why our campaign is called “Living in the Moment.” Jeroen, like many other patients who have shared their experiences across Europe, is living proof of what’s possible for people living with IBD: That they can overcome the embarrassment that’s often associated with the disease to rediscover normality. That medical innovation and the right support can help them embrace the everyday again. (See photographs of more patients who took part in the awareness campaign below.)

The campaign originally featured two people with Crohn’s disease in Austria. It then launched in other European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, where it won a prestigious best pharma campaign award. In Austria and the Netherlands, the patient stories featured stunning images taken by Sonia Sieff, a Paris-based fashion photographer who has worked with world-famous models and actors.

Marcelo Freire, our vice president Global Medical Affairs for Gastroenterology, says campaigns such as “Living in the Moment” can have a real impact. “Simply educating people on what IBD involves and demonstrating through real-life stories that it’s possible for people with the disease to live a normal life can positively change perceptions of the disease,” he explains.

“There are several potentially transformational therapies for patients now, and plenty of studies under way that could further impact clinical outcomes,” Dr. Freire says. “But there are still challenges, still unmet medical need. Perhaps the thing that still needs to be emphasized most is the importance of timely intervention. This campaign does this, and helps remove the stigma associated with IBD. Hopefully a lot more patients can benefit as a result.”