Crohn's and Colitis Canada has awarded a $5,000 scholarship to first-year College of New Caledonia (CNC) nursing baccalaureate student Wynne Fitzpatrick.
The Crohn's and Colitis Canada IBD Scholarship program awards 15 students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis every year, with the goal to make it easier for them to pursue their post-secondary studies.
Fitzpatrick received this award for her academic success and her work and impact on the Canadian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community.
Due to the severity of Fitzpatrick's Crohn’s disease, she had difficulty receiving treatment in her hometown of Vanderhoof. Instead, she and her family have had to travel 10 hours to Vancouver for treatment ever since she was 13.
Those struggles made her decide to pursue a career in nursing.
“It wasn’t easy navigating school life in between trips to the BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, surgeries and recovery,” said Wynne. “When I first got my diagnosis at age 13, I was really shy and anxious about it. It was also hard on my mental health with classmates not understanding why I’d miss school or homework. Having this national recognition and knowing I have so many people and peers supporting me, means so much.”
She is also a vocal advocate and champion for awareness of this disease and is a staunch supporter of kids and youth living with chronic pain and illnesses related to IBD.
Fitzpatrick has participated in the Vanderhoof/Prince George Gutsy Walk since 2020 and was the honorary chair in her first year. She has raised $62,000 for the BC Children's Hospital through various fundraisers.
“In a way, Crohn's is giving back to me,“ said Wynne. “I’m going to stay true to the promise I made in the scholarship application: making a positive change and becoming a local nurse in northern BC”
