World-Renowned Soccer Player Brandi Chastain Partners with AbbVie to Raise Awareness about Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Share Personal Story

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- World-renowned soccer player Brandi Chastain today announced her partnership with AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, on the new educational program, My IBD Game Plan. The program is designed to help individuals living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), create a plan to help manage everyday life with these diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease affects as many as 1.6 million Americans.¹ The resources on the program website, www.IBDGamePlan.com, will help people living with IBD and their caregivers proactively work with their healthcare providers and support team to take control and manage the symptoms of these diseases.

Chastain is a former member of the United States women's national soccer team and a retired professional soccer player who was recently elected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. Her son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2015 at the age of nine.

"When my son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease last year, I learned that having a game plan, and a team to support you is key to managing the daily challenges associated with IBD," said Chastain. "I am partnering with AbbVie on My IBD Game Plan and sharing our family's experience in hope of helping others living with IBD feel empowered to work with their healthcare providers and support teams to live well with these diseases."

People living with IBD can register for ongoing tips and access tools on www.IBDGamePlan.com. In addition to information on how to build their own IBD Game Plan with their healthcare provider, the website also features tools and information to help manage the physical, emotional and social challenges of IBD. Also on the program site, people living with IBD can receive a Restroom Request Card that can be used to discreetly communicate about IBD and request access to restricted restrooms when unexpected symptoms arise.

"We invite people who are living with IBD, and their caregivers, to hear Brandi's personal story and hopefully to be motivated to create a plan with their doctor that will help them manage what can be a challenging disease," said Michael Norton, vice president of U.S. Medical Affairs, AbbVie. "My IBD Game Plan is part of AbbVie's commitment to have a remarkable impact on the lives of people living with serious diseases."

As many as 70,000 new cases of IBD are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can be serious diseases that can get worse over time, with symptoms that may change in severity or change over the course of one's life.¹

People living with IBD usually go through periods of remission, meaning few or no symptoms, alternating with periods of active disease symptoms.¹ Common symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis include diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping and rectal bleeding.² There is no cure for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, but there are treatments available that directly address the inflammation that causes symptoms and can help achieve and maintain remission.³

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. Together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Pharmacyclics, AbbVie employs more than 28,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

References

¹ The Facts about Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America website. http://www.ccfa.org/assets/pdfs/ibdfactbook.pdf. Accessed May 6, 2016.
² What are Crohn's and Colitis? Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America website. http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis. Accessed May 6, 2016.
³ Treatment Options in IBD. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America website. http://www.ccfa.org/resources/treatment-options-in-ibd.html. Accessed May 6, 2016.

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SOURCE AbbVie

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