Tess Frémont-Côté

Meet Tess Frémont-Côté. She lives with colitis.

Thank goodness for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, one of 17 national health charities working under the HealthPartners umbrella to transform the health of Canadians. There for Tess every step of the way while she underwent multiple surgeries, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada helped her understand what was happening to her and how to talk about it with her friends and members of her family. She also learned that colitis affects many young people, even younger than her. “It was quite a shock to learn that 5- and 6-year-olds get this disease,” she says.

Thanks to support from the Foundation, Tess felt less isolated and alone. “I am living proof that donating to HealthPartners works.”

“I spent four years of my life, from the age of 12 to 16, in hospital after being diagnosed with colitis. I was put on multiple medications and went through many surgeries to try to deal with this disease. Throughout it all, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada was there, helping me understand the disease, and that it often hits young people.”

tess frémont-côté