NEW 2026 TV PSAs: Real People with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Are Spilling Their Guts — And It's Time to Listen

Dear PSA/Program Director,

Every day, millions of Americans are living with a chronic illness most people have never heard of—and many who have it don’t yet know it themselves. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects 1 in 100 Americans. It causes debilitating symptoms like urgent diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and fatigue—symptoms that can upend every aspect of a person’s life, yet often go unrecognized for years.

Because IBD involves bathroom-related symptoms, many people feel too embarrassed to talk about what they’re experiencing—with friends, family, or even their doctors. That silence comes at a real cost. Many individuals go undiagnosed for years, while others may not know that newer treatments exist that could significantly improve their quality of life. Real stories can cut through that silence and help people recognize when something isn’t right.

The new Spill Your Guts PSA from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation features four real people—a model, an athlete, a musician, and a content creator—each living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. They share candid, firsthand accounts of their symptoms, the challenges of getting diagnosed, and what it means to navigate daily life with an invisible illness. Their stories remind viewers that IBD can affect anyone, and that help is available by visiting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s website at www.spillyourguts.org.

By airing this PSA, you can help your community put a name to something they or someone they love may be quietly suffering through.

Thank you for your consideration.

Rachel Peifer
Director, Corporate Communications and Social Media
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation