The Peggy Lillis Foundation

06/17/2026

Tiffani thought the worst was behind her after a traumatic birth that required emergency surgery, a 9-unit blood transfusion, and a week in the ICU on heavy antibiotics. She went home with her newborn and a sense of relief. A few weeks later, that relief vanished.

She began experiencing diarrhea with an unusual odor and bowel incontinence she didn't even notice. A gastroenterologist confirmed what she feared: C. diff. After a course of Vancomycin, her symptoms returned. Without dietary guidance from her care team, she did what so many of us do: she researched everything, reached out to patient organizations, and came back to her doctor armed with questions. When her doctor declined additional testing and recommended more antibiotics, Tiffani trusted her gut, tracked her symptoms, made dietary changes, added a probiotic, and the infection eventually cleared.

"I tapped into my own superpower, my inner voice and it guided me through."

If you or someone you love has faced a C. diff diagnosis after a medical procedure or antibiotic use, Tiffani's story is a powerful reminder that self-advocacy can be part of healing. Read Tiffani's full story and many others just like hers at https://hubs.li/Q04llvQm0

06/15/2026

Your story is more powerful than you know. 💚

When Pam McCollister first started sharing her C. diff story, she felt ashamed. Now she calls it the most empowering thing she has ever done.

She is not alone. C. diff survivors and caregivers across the country are taking their experiences to Capitol Hill, sitting across from legislators, and making the case for real change: better treatments, stronger prevention standards, and a disease that is finally taken seriously.

Your story has that power too. Read how patient advocates are turning personal pain into public health reform, and learn how you can add your voice to the movement.

Learn more ➡️ https://hubs.li/Q04lpL9f0

06/14/2026

Brittany was 19 when her body started failing her. Watery stools, dizziness, collapse. The ER sent her home. Her doctors told her she had IBS and was too young to worry. It took years, two recurrences, and a weight drop to 92 pounds before she finally got a diagnosis: C. diff. By 25, her stomach was functioning at just 25% capacity. She was dying.

At Mayo Clinic, she became one of the first patients to receive a f***l microbiota transplant. It worked, but recovery was slow. It took eight full years to get back to a meaningful weight. Then this past April, a contaminated sewer leak in her home triggered a second infection.

"I remember long nights when I was so scared I wouldn't wake up. And when I did, I clung to every day because every day meant a chance to see my children grow."

Have you or someone you love been dismissed or misdiagnosed before finally getting answers? You are not alone. Read Brittany's full story and many others just like hers at https://hubs.li/Q04lmrh20

06/08/2026

If you have been touched by C. diff, you know how much a better treatment would mean. Not just for you, but for every patient who comes after you.

The good news: researchers are working on it right now.

Clinical trials for new C. diff treatments are actively enrolling across the country. These studies are how promising therapies move from the lab to the people who need them most. And every participant who volunteers brings that future a little closer.

Wondering if there is a trial near you? Visit our states page at https://hubs.li/Q04ksbWc0 to find C. diff clinical trials and research opportunities in your area.

Hope is not just on the horizon. It is in progress.

05/27/2026

Peggy's Patrons aren't just donors.

They're the people who decided that C. diff doesn't get to keep operating in the shadows.
They're survivors who fought their way back and don't want anyone else to fight alone. They're caregivers who held someone's hand through the hardest weeks of their life. They're healthcare workers who see C. diff's toll every day and want something to change. They're researchers who know the science needs more urgency behind it. And they're people who simply heard Peggy's story and said: this shouldn't happen.
Nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed with C. diff every year. Tens of thousands die. And most people have never heard of it.

That's what Peggy's Patrons are changing.

With a monthly gift of any size, you help Peggy Lillis Foundation educate the public, empower advocates, and push for policies that protect patients. You help make C. diff a household name, because awareness saves lives.

If that sounds like you, we'd be honored to have you join us.

🔗 Become a Peggy's Patron today: https://hubs.li/Q04j3ph30

05/27/2026

Recovering from C. diff isn't linear.

Some days you feel like you're finally turning a corner. Others, the fatigue, the cramping, or the anxiety pulls you right back. That's not failure. That's what C. diff recovery actually looks like.

Even after the infection clears, the gut doesn't just reset overnight. Restoring a healthy microbiome takes time, and for some survivors, post-infectious IBS or IBD can emerge weeks or even months later. Symptoms that feel like a relapse may actually be your gut still working to heal.

If you're in that place right now, you are not alone. Many C. diff survivors navigate this uncertain road, and it can be exhausting and frightening. What you're experiencing is real, it's recognized, and it matters.

Peggy Lillis Foundation is here to support the C. diff community at every stage of the journey. Because awareness doesn't stop at diagnosis.

🔗 Learn more at https://hubs.li/Q04j3mG-0

05/13/2026

If you or a loved one has had C. diff, you know the fear of it coming back. Recurrence is one of the most challenging aspects of this infection, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.

Here's what we recommend:

✅ Avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Antibiotics are a leading cause of C. diff and you should only use them when truly needed, and always follow your physician's guidance.
✅ Limit unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. Hospitals and care settings are common environments for C. diff transmission.
✅ Practice proper hygiene at home. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, and disinfect surfaces with C. diff-effective cleaners.
✅ Restore your gut microbiome. Diet and nutrition play a key role in rebuilding the healthy bacteria that protect against C. diff.

For more information, visit https://hubs.li/Q04gwV9M0 and share this post to help others stay informed!

05/12/2026

📣The RESTORATiVE303 Study: GET YOUR GUT BACTERIA IN SYNC 📣

The RESTORATiVE303 Study is a phase 3 clinical research study that is exploring an investigational drug to restore the microbiome (the bacteria that live in your gut) in people with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).
To find out more, please click this link and fill out the questionnaire: https://hubs.li/Q04gcLr-0
What to do if CDI returns? Join our virtual waiting room!
By following the link above and filling out the questionnaire, you can ask to be placed in the study’s virtual waiting room. This allows you to stay in touch with the study team in case your CDI returns in the future.

The RESTORATiVE303 Study is exploring an investigational drug to restore the microbiome in people with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

05/11/2026

Healing from C. diff isn't just physical and we don't think that gets talked about enough.

Yes, there's the exhaustion, the pain, the weeks (sometimes months) of your body fighting back. But there's also the anxiety that lingers long after the infection clears. The way you start to fear food, or public spaces, or just leaving your house.

There's grief for the version of yourself that existed before. There's the isolation that comes from being sick for so long. And there's the mental exhaustion of fighting something that can come back - something that makes you feel like you can't fully trust your own body anymore.

Recovery isn't linear. Some days you feel almost normal. Other days the anxiety hits harder than the physical symptoms ever did.

If you're in the thick of it right now — physically or mentally — you're not being dramatic. You're not weak. You went through something genuinely hard, and it's okay if your mind needs time to heal too.

Be patient with yourself. Both parts of recovery matter. 💜

05/08/2026

On Tuesday April 14, 2026, PLF Advocates took on Capitol Hill. 19 volunteers from 14 states met with 30 legislators and educated staffers. PLF's main request this year is for Appropriations report language to prioritize C. diff treatment research. Other legislative priorities include public health funding and two bills to reform the way patients interact with the healthcare system: the HELP Copays and Safe Step Acts.

In addition to meeting with a great number of offices, our advocates’ meetings had more positive outcomes than ever before. Congressional staff were engaged, inquisitive, and generally supportive of our requests. Further outcomes from Lobby Day are to be determined, but the event was another success for C. diff advocates.

Read more about our visit to Capitol Hill: https://hubs.li/Q04f_3zH0