Awareness Month: Voices from the PH Community (#4)…

Here's a guest blog from PHA's webmaster, Diane Greenhalgh, written as we complete week one of Awareness Month...

We are just a week into Awareness Month and so much has happened, so many people are making a difference already!

We kicked off the month on Nov. 1 with PH Online Awareness Day. The PH community worldwide took part by sharing information about pulmonary hypertension, photos, videos, personal stories, blogging, emailing friends and publicizing their special events in November. 

There were a lot of posts that used our zebra theme and messaging from Sometimes it's PH: An Early Diagnosis Campaign. The community has really taken the zebra and run with it.  At the top of this blog, you can see the zebra themed awareness image above that was posted by the Latin American health awareness group Concientización De La Salud.

PH associations around the world also held events in conjunction with PH Online Awareness Day. In the United Kingdom they organized people to wear purple lips and in South Africa to share their letters to God.

PHers in the U.S. have so far garnered 60 proclamations declaring November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month from state and local governments across the country and the month has three weeks left! Michelle Holden in Florida secured 35 proclamations alone, and Jen Cueva from Texas used her proclamation in a letter to the editor in the Galveston Daily News. Read the letter to the editor

Others are doing so many other things, including tabling at local health centers, posting information at work, wearing purple and zebra stripes, and writing a paper in school.

This past weekend, volunteer organizers held seven events across the country in California, Maryland., Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Texas. They raised awareness and funds for the cause through fun walks, 5Ks, a gala, a brunch and a six-minute marathon. The Texas group (Zebra PHriends!) was even on Good Morning Texas to promote their event and PH awareness. Watch the video below...

This is number 4 in an Awareness Month series on the Empowered by Hope blog.

You can make a difference, too!