Two mothers with inflammatory bowel disease have much in common. But what makes them different is what also makes them so powerful as the “IBD Moms.” In the second of a two-part episode, Brooke Abbott and Amber Tresca talk about how racial disparities impact access to IBD diagnoses and treatment, and why building community is crucial to getting much-needed information into the hands of people living with IBD.

“We can help one another in this,” says Amber. “Let's figure out what we need to do to make sure that we're the best moms that we can be. We just found so much joy and so much friendship in one another.”

Among the highlights in this episode:

2:41: Brooke describes the health inequities based on stereotypes that exist for Black women

3:14: “I was told that I had everything except for inflammatory bowel disease,” reveals Brooke

3:59: Brooke’s poor medical care continued even after she was diagnosed 

6:35: Our co-host Melodie describes shutting down and feeling “disqualified, not heard, not seen” by her doctor

7:19: Amber realizes so many people are going through their IBD journeys alone

8:05: Planning is key for people living with IBD

10:09: “The pandemic has shown us that we are creatures who need a community, who need people, who need support,” says Brooke

11:42: “Nine times out of 10, patients are just trying to be patients,” believes Melodie. “They don't even know there's validity in what they've just experienced.”

13:15: Amber shares the most challenging aspects of living with IBD from the IBD community?

15:11: Access to information is important

Learn more about IBD Moms 

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Melodie Narain-Blackwell, President and Founder of The Color of Crohn's and Chronic Illness: melodie@cocci.org

Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.