Together We Can "Color the World Periwinkle"

As we prepare for Awareness Month this November, Diane Greenhalgh, PHA's Director of Web Services has written this week's guest blog. She makes the important point that PHA's Internet connections, while an important social benefit, are also a tool for increasing awareness and fighting back against PH. Awareness Month is coming and you are essential to its success.

When I started at PHA in 2006, Rino talked a lot about how important our online communities are for ending the isolation that patients and families feel. With social media and other online community tools, the PH community across the world is coming together and forming lasting PHriendships online even though they have never met in person. My roommate and best friend Alex, who is a PH patient, has only ever met some of her closest friends in person at PHA's biennial conferences.

Now that we have this global network, let's take it out for a spin and see what it can do! In exactly one month from today we are asking the entire PH community to unite with your PHriends from across the globe as one voice to kick off PH Awareness Month with Color the World Periwinkle Day on Nov. 1.

This starts with the very simple act of wearing periwinkle, or purple, on Nov. 1 along with your PH gear. Advertise about Color the World Periwinkle Day beforehand to everyone you know so they do the same.

From there you can do a number of things to color your world periwinkle. You can create a personal story page so people can understand what it is like to live with PH and have a way to support you, organize a small PH-themed event like a happy hour or party, and spread awareness to your online networks.

Regardless of how you decide to celebrate Color the World Periwinkle Day we have the tools you need to guide you through the process and staff to support you, whatever idea you come up with.

Check out our Color the World Periwinkle Day resources, and don't forget to check out the other ways you can raise awareness throughout PH Awareness Month and beyond.

As individuals we can make a difference. Together we can change the future of this disease. PHers unite!