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National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12
BELLFLOWER, Calif.—(15 April 2010)—After being diagnosed
with fibromyalgia at age 13, Alicia McConnell learned to adapt to a life with
chronic pain. Now at the age of
25, McConnell tries to “Make Fibromyalgia Visible” by educating others about what
she’s known most of her life.
McConnell, nicknamed “Bug” by her family when she was
younger, formed a team of family and friends called the Little Bug that
Could. Last year the team walked in the National Fibromyalgia
Association’s Walk of FAME (Fibromyalgia Awareness Means Everything) to raise
both awareness and money for fibromyalgia research.
“Our team wore green t-shirts in the walk last year and
still to this day if we wear the shirts out in public people ask about
fibromyalgia,” said McConnell. “There
is definitely a need to let people know about fibromyalgia so they accept it
and understand it.”
To share with others her experience with fibromyalgia, McConnell
wrote a poem titled “Fibromyalgia, My Foe.” The poem begins, “Fibromyalgia is a fierce competitor. It is my biggest rival; My greatest
fear.”
The National Fibromyalgia Association and the Fibromyalgia
Research and Education Center at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF)
will commemorate National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day with FREE activities that
include a Wellness Fair, educational seminars, 1K and 5K walk from noon until 8
p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at CSUF.
McConnell plans to participate in the event as a virtual walker to raise
funds for fibromyalgia research.
For more information about the event, visit the National
Fibromyalgia Association Web site at www.fmaware.org.
“Make Fibromyalgia Visible”
“Make Fibromyalgia Visible” is the National
Fibromyalgia Association’s theme for this year’s National Fibromyalgia Awareness
Day, officially observed on May 12.
Awareness Day is designed to increase awareness and understanding of
fibromyalgia – a chronic pain disorder usually characterized by chronic
widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances,
fatigue and often psychological distress.
About the National Fibromyalgia
Association
The National Fibromyalgia
Assocation (NFA) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Anaheim,
California whose mission is: To develop and execute programs dedicated to
improving the quality of life for people with fibromyalgia. The NFA publishes FM Aware magazine, which recently went digital
in 2010. For more information,
visit www.fmaware.org.
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