The Peggy Lillis Foundation

08/23/2026

Phoebe's years-long journey with C. diff began after antibiotics for an ear infection and a suspected case of SIBO, and it followed her through two pregnancies while she also lived with ulcerative colitis. She endured recurrent infections, labs that kept rejecting her samples, and an emergency room visit where she was told she was only colonized and would not be treated. She pushed through vancomycin and repeated rounds of Dificid, and at ten weeks postpartum she and her family drove four hours so she could receive Rebyota, an FDA-approved microbiome therapy. The infection has not returned since.

"At my lowest point, I signed up for Peggy Lillis Foundation's Peer Support Network and found comfort in connecting with someone who understood what I was going through. That support reminded me that I wasn't alone."

If you or someone you love is facing C. diff and feeling isolated, Phoebe's story is a reminder that support and hope are within reach. Read Phoebe's full story and many others just like hers at https://hubs.li/Q04tXF480

08/23/2026

Healing your gut is one of the most powerful things you can do after C. diff, and it plays a real role in preventing recurrence. 🌱

The foods you eat can help rebuild the balance that C. diff throws off. Fruits and vegetables rich in soluble fiber, whole grains, and fermented foods deliver the prebiotics and probiotics your gut needs to recover.

Getting back to a place that feels comfortable and sustainable takes time and patience, and you do not have to figure it out alone.

Download our free Nutrition and Lifestyle Guide for C. diff Recovery for practical, easy-to-follow tips on what to eat and how to lower your risk of recurrence: https://hubs.li/Q04tXs9w0

08/20/2026

Behind every C. diff diagnosis is a person, a family, and a story that deserves to be heard.

This year, we are honored to name Carol Raye our 2026 Advocate Award Honoree. After surviving a long and grueling fight with C. diff, Carol turned her recovery into a mission, becoming a tireless voice for a disease too many people have never heard of until it touches their lives.

On the blog, we share Carol's journey alongside the stories of Karl and Tiffani, three very different paths through C. diff, united by hope and the power of advocacy.

Read their stories and join us at the Changing the Odds Gala on September 18 in Brooklyn. Together, we change the odds.

Read the blog and reserve your tickets here:

Meet Carol Raye, our 2026 Advocate Award Honoree, and hear the stories behind the Changing the Odds Gala on September 18 in Brooklyn.

08/14/2026

📣 Last call for early bird tickets to the Changing the Odds Gala 📣

For 17 years, Peggy Lillis Foundation has worked to end the harm caused by C. diff by educating the public, empowering advocates, and shaping policy.

On Friday, September 18, we'll gather in Brooklyn, NY to celebrate that progress and recommit to the patients and families at the heart of this fight.
Early bird pricing ends tonight: tickets are $99 through today, then $125.

We'd love to have you there. Reserve your seat: https://hubs.li/Q04t3mTX0

08/14/2026

Peggy Lillis Foundation’s Peer Support Network was founded in 2022 as a way to provide C. diff sufferers and their families with individualized support and assistance accessing proper care. The Network takes in requests from people around the country (and, sometimes, around the world) and matches them with trained volunteers.

Four years and hundreds of requests later, the Peer Support Network has had a powerful impact on patients in need; but we’re asking people like you to help keep the program going strong! PLF is looking for passionate, engaged people to volunteer with the Network, to help us manage a larger volume of requests, and to add to the diversity of experiences our mentors bring to the table.

If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a peer support mentor, submit an application at https://hubs.li/Q04sWVRp0. We can’t wait to hear from you.

08/13/2026

What is C. diff, and why aren't more of us talking about it?

Our Co-Founder and CEO Christian John Lillis joined 11Alive News Investigates to share Peggy's story and explain why C. diff remains one of the most urgent and under-recognized public health threats in the U.S.

C. diff claims tens of thousands of lives every year, yet far too few people know the warning signs. Segments like this one are how we change that.

Watch the full conversation: https://hubs.li/Q04sYm-d0

Learn more and join the movement at https://hubs.li/Q04sYgHj0

Lillis' mom, Peggy, died after taking Clindamycin for routine dental care.

07/30/2026

Most people have never heard of C. diff until it touches their life. But roughly 500,000 Americans are diagnosed every year, and about 30,000 die.

New research published in July 2026 adds an important risk factor to the picture: metabolic health.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and University of Arizona analyzed records from more than 100 healthcare organizations worldwide.

What they found:
▪️ Metabolic syndrome nearly doubled the odds of a C. diff diagnosis
▪️ Obesity alone raised the odds by 14 percent
▪️ Type 2 diabetes raised them by 11 percent, and carried the highest risk of severe outcomes like sepsis, ICU admission, and death

Critically, these associations held even after accounting for antibiotic use, long considered the primary driver of C. diff. That means metabolic disease appears to be an independent risk factor.

With an estimated 1 in 3 American adults living with metabolic syndrome, this connection matters for millions of people. The good news is that these are conditions many patients can actively manage.

Our latest blog breaks down what the study found, why the biology makes sense, and what patients and families can do about it.

Read it here: https://hubs.li/Q04rp-ch0

07/29/2026

If you’ve endured C. diff more than once, you know how exhausting the cycle can be. Treatment, recovery, then back to being sick again. It can feel like there is no way out.

The RESTORATiVE303 Study is a phase 3 clinical research study that is exploring an oral investigational drug to restore the microbiome (the bacteria that live in your gut) in people with recurrent C. diff infection.

To find out if you qualify or to join the virtual waiting room, click here:
https://hubs.li/Q04rb79q0
utm_campaign=vedanta

07/25/2026

Thanks to OpenBiome for featuring our CEO in its OpenDialog series!

Rage. Grief. Hope.

Some of our most powerful advocacy movements begin with loss and a sense of anger.

In this month’s OpenDialog, Christian John Lillis, CEO and Co-Founder of The Peggy Lillis Foundation, shares his journey from grieving son who lost his mother to Clostridioides difficile (C.diff) to a ceaseless advocate for C. difficile patients and their families.

Whether you are a clinician, a researcher or an advocate for patients, this is your conversation.
And as promised: no jargon, no fluff. Just ideas worth your time.

https://openbiome.org/ideas/

07/24/2026

🗓️ SAVE THE DATE!

Our 3rd Annual Scientific Symposium is coming this November 19 & 20, and it's shaping up to be our biggest one yet. 🎉

Since 2024, this event has brought together scientists and practitioners working to reduce the harm caused by C. diff, featuring dozens of lecturers, hundreds of viewers, and an average rating of 9.6/10. This year we're expanding to two days and five Learning Tracks.

✅ Two days
✅ Five Learning Tracks
✅ More presentations than ever

Registration details are on the way. For now, mark your calendars and get ready! 📅

Catch up on past Symposia here: https://hubs.li/Q04qGQhd0