Teen battling Crohn’s disease on a mission to find a cure
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Kate Paden will be a junior at Pine Creek High School this fall. The 16-year-old was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. She's on a feeding tube and high doses of steroids, along with a slew of treatments, which help Paden's digestive tract heal.
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people. Crohn's disease may happen at any age, but it most often affects people ages 15 to 35.
But despite her disease, Paden proves she's no ordinary high schooler. She works about 20 hours per week at Ziggi's coffee shop on Chapel Hills, and convinced her boss, Craig Carle to be the corporate sponsor for her team "Chronic but Iconic."
As a Sophomore, Paden was elected as a Board Member of the DECA Club. These positions are highly sought after and it is extremely unusual for a Sophomore to be elected. Kate also competed at the State Level in DECA for Pine Creek.
Paden and the members of her team will be heading up to Denver on Saturday morning to participate in the Take Steps Caravan for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation at Metro State University. The funding directly impacts treatment, research, and quality of life programs for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Saturday morning at 7:30 am, people will meet at Ziggi's on Chapel Hills to decorate cars and support Paden for Denver's Take Steps Caravan. Her team will be handing out $1.00 off coupons to anyone who stops by to send them off.
To help support Kate's team, "Chronic but Iconic," click here.
