New Westminster students who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - Crohn's Disease or colitis - are invited to apply for a national scholarship program from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada for their post-secondary studies this year.
Through a grant from AbbVie, a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company, the foundation will offer seven one-time scholarships of up to $5,000 to Canadian students living with IBD who are entering into or are currently attending a post-secondary educational institution.
Students of all ages are welcome to apply and the scholarship can be used for any Canadian post-secondary institution.
"Due to the isolating nature of the disease, people living with IBD too often miss out on the great life experiences many of us take for granted, including completing their education," noted Dr. Kevin Glasgow, CEO of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, in a press release. "The AbbVie IBD Scholarship was born of the desire to support students with Crohn's and colitis and help empower them to continue their education and excel to their fullest potential."
In partnership with the foundation, the second-annual scholarship is awarded to students with IBD who "strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness allowing them to excel while inspiring others to do the same," according to the release.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of disorders that causes the intestines to become inflamed and ulcerated due to an abnormal response of the body's immune system.
With more than 230,000 Canadians living with IBD, Canada has amongst the highest incidence rates in the world, according to the foundation.
There is no known cause or cure.
A recent survey conducted by the foundation found 69 per cent of people who had IBD when they were young were delayed in completing their post-secondary education and a further 89 per cent who had IBD as a child felt they could have achieved more at school without their disease.
The majority of people living with IBD face many challenges when it comes their education because of intensive medical treatments, debilitating symptoms and lengthy hospital stays, according to the release.
Applicants for the scholarship must be legal and permanent residents of Canada.
They also must be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease by a physician and be seeking an associate's, undergraduate, or graduate degree from a Canadian university or college, or enrolled in a trade school educational program, and be enrolled in or awaiting acceptance from a Canadian-based post-secondary educational institution for the fall semester of 2013.
The application deadline is June 30. Visit www.ccfc.ca for full application details.
Twitter.com/MarelleReid
