By Allison Gogarty
When Gay Klapman lost her husband, Richard, in a cycling accident last summer, she not only lost her soul mate, but also her main caregiver and source of support in her fight against Crohn’s disease.
That is why this year, Gay and her daughter, Elizabeth Levy, both of Morristown, have dedicated their fundraising efforts for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) Take Steps walk to Richard Klapman’s memory.
Take Steps is the CCFA’s national walk program. These walks raise funds for critical research and increases awareness of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, painful and unpredictable digestive diseases, known collectively at inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD.
Thousands of people will gather this year in more than 145 communities across the country. Klapman and Levy, who also suffers from IBD in the form of ulcerative colitis, will participate in the Jersey City walk at Liberty State Park on Sunday, June 14, 2015.
After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1974, Gay Klapman became increasingly more active with the CCFA, which seeks to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the lives of those who suffer from the diseases.
Now a driving force behind local efforts, Klapman is the New Jersey chapter education chair and the national lay person representative for patient education. She’s a 12-year veteran of the organization’s board of trustees and runs multiple support and mentor groups in the area.
In support of his wife, Richard Klapman, who did not suffer from the disease, became a valued member of the CCFA family, serving on the board of trustees as treasurer, working past Take Steps events and acting as a counselor at Camp Oasis, a sleep-away camp for children suffering from the diseases.
Klapman passed away last August, following a cycling accident. His wife’s fundraising efforts this year aim to keep his memory alive among friends and family, as well as the CCFA community. They have set a goal of $5,000 to contribute toward the total goal of $165,000 for the June 14 walk.
“He was a source of unwavering support,” said Gay Klapman of her late husband. “He was willing to do whatever it took and take whatever steps necessary to help work toward a cure – all out of his dedication to me.”
Klapman recalled her husband standing by her through 40 years of serious chronic disease and says she was only able to get through it because of him.
Some 1.6 million people are diagnosed each year with IBD and there is no cure. While several treatments exist, many have negative side effects and there is a significant spectrum of severity.
In addition to finding a cure, one of the goals of current research is to better break down the diseases to target them more successfully with various treatments.
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for IBD and is one of only seven charities that get an “A” rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.
To donate to the CCFA or support Gay Klapman’s “Team Redbeard” in honor of the late Richard Klapman, visit here.
