Marc and Tricia Rosenthal: Making Their Vision for Adam a Reality

Marc and Tricia Rosenthal are no strangers to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), having several cousins, aunts, and an uncle who live with the disease. But that still didn’t prepare them for when their 13-year-old son, Adam, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

From the moment they received Adam’s diagnosis, they knew they wanted to see three things happen.

1. For Adam to go into remission and stay healthy.
2. For a cure to be found for Adam and the family he might have one day.
3. To know they did all they could to make their vision a reality.

Thanks to their physician who referred the family to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, Marc and Tricia began by learning more about IBD, treatments, and resources available to them. They got involved with their local Take Steps walk and over time became a source of support for new families dealing with their IBD diagnoses.

They also looked for ways to support the Foundation’s work to find better treatments and cures for IBD. As an agent for New York Life, Marc helped direct more than $175,000 to the Foundation through a New York Life Foundation program that grants money to charities in return for volunteer hours served by employees.

Yet, Marc never forgot something he heard years earlier: “You don’t give until it hurts—you give until it feels good!”

That’s when the Rosenthals decided to include the Foundation in their estate plans. “Once we put it in writing, it felt great,” says Marc. “We aspire to leave our mark on our community and our family. This is the way to do it.”

Adam, now 22, studies at the University of Buffalo. He receives infusions every eight weeks and is in remission. Marc and Tricia are grateful that their son is feeling healthy, but they don’t want him to rely on medication for the rest of his life. They are committed to their vision of a better future for Adam, their family’s next generation, and all families who struggle with IBD.

Families like the Rosenthals—who support the Foundation in different ways— make a significant and lasting impact on our mission-critical research, education, and support programs. For additional information on how you can help, contact Susan Carriker at scarriker@crohnscolitisfoundation.org or 252-597-5085.