In 2026, the headline of our annual C. diff Awareness Month campaign is “See C. diff Survived,” recognizing when and how patients survive C. diff infections—as well as what their lives look like afterwards and how C. diff has changed them. We’re centering the voices of people who have lived through C. diff, the families who supported them, and the advocates who are fighting for better care.

The reality is that most people who contract C. diff will recover with the right treatment and support. Early diagnosis and access to appropriate care dramatically improve outcomes, and the list of therapeutic options for C. diff infections is growing all the time.

The road to recovery from C. diff often is neither straightforward nor easy. Many people who have suffered from C. diff infections deal with changes to their health and wellness that may linger for years to come. These long-term effects can include the new and worsening gut symptoms and mental health challenges directly attributed to their experience with C. diff.

C. diff is no longer a disease of the elderly; people aged 18-24 make up the fastest growing cohort of C. diff patients, and around 20,000 children contract C. diff infections each year in the U.S. While children are less likely to become severely ill from C. diff, the ones who do have even fewer treatment options.