“Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone”

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - May 12, 2009

CITY, STATE— (TEAM NAME) On May 12, 2009, residents of [YOUR CITY] will join millions of people worldwide to observe Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Led by the National Fibromyalgia Association, the theme for this year’s campaign is “Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone” and focuses on the far-reaching effects of this common, chronic pain disorder—from broken lives to the economic costs for patients and society.

• An estimated 10 million men, women and children in the United States suffer from fibromyalgia, which is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.
• For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.
• Total healthcare costs over 12 months are about three times higher among fibromyalgia patients compared to patients without the disorder
• Fibromyalgia costs the U.S. between $12-$14 billion each year

[Insert paragraph about your personal story]

“Fibromyalgia Awareness Day provides an opportunity to educate others in our local community about this life-altering disorder—and to bring hope to the millions of people who suffer from it,” says (YOUR CITY resident YOUR NAME).

ABOUT AWARENESS DAY
In 1993, Tom Hennessy, the founder of RESCIND, INC.  (Repeal Existing Stereotypes about Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases), designated May 12 as International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND).  The date was chosen to memorialize the birth date of Florence Nightingale, the English army nurse who inspired the founding of the International Red Cross.  Nightingale contracted a paralyzing, CIND-like illness in her mid-30s and spent the last 50 years of her life virtually bedridden.  Despite her illness, she managed to found the first-ever School of Nursing. Awareness Day activities take place worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of chronic pain illnesses including fibromyalgia.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FIBROMYALGIA ASSOCIATION:
The National Fibromyalgia Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and execute programs dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with fibromyalgia. The NFA publishes a quarterly magazine, Fibromyalgia AWARE, and hosts an award-winning website at www.fmaware.org.