In January of this year they began a campaign called Pledge to Care. The Pledge to Care is a way for family members, friends, and healthcare providers to show their support to persons with Fibromyalgia by making a simple pledge.

“Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain  disorder that affects 6 to 10 million Americans, however recent health care reform legislation and biased attitudes towards people with fibromyalgia, continue to prevent them from receiving adequate and appropriate access to medical care,” said Lynne Matallana, president and founder of the National Fibromyalgia Association. “Family members and other caregivers play an important role in the treatment of the person with fibromyalgia, yet many are still not well informed or know how best to care for their loved one. The ‘Fibromyalgia Pledge to Care’ is designed to help raise awareness for fibromyalgia, and provide a tool which will encourage others to join us in our national efforts to insure fibromyalgia patients access to better medical care.”

 

By going to NFA’s website and filling out a simple form, you can join a long list of family members and friends who have already made this pledge. Fibromyalgia is still known as “the invisible illness.”  It is invisible not just because it does not show up on an x-ray or blood test, but it is invisible because it is easy to dismiss or ignore what is not understood. The NFA has made it their mission to develop and execute programs to educate and inform, because with understanding comes compassion, and with compassion there can be progress.

I hope you will all go to the NFA website and complete the Pledge to Care form in support of someone you love who suffers from Fibromyalgia. If it is you that suffers from Fibromyalgia, take the time to direct someone you love to the NFA site and ask them to make this pledge for you. It could be a good step towards educating them about Fibromyalgia and the very real challenges you face every day.

For my family and friends, I would appreciate very much if you took the time to make a pledge for me.  I am very lucky to have such a loving and compassionate support system, but I know that I too could do more to help you understand the realities of Fibromyalgia.  This blog has been a big step for me in that direction.  Now I am taking it a little further and asking you to make a Pledge to Care. If you do make a pledge I would love if you came back here and posted a comment to let me know, or send me an e-mail if you prefer.  Thank you!

UPDATE:

Coincidence! On the same day I wrote a post about The National Fibromyalgia Association, my friend over at The Girl From the Ghetto did the same. Great minds! Check out her comment and then click the link to read her post.

thegirlfromtheghetto

You have got to read my latest post. You can shop @ amazon.com & This organization gets 15% of your sales!!! Feel free to borrow my post and put it here on your site.

http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/going-to-online-shop-you-can-give-the-national-fibromyalgia-association-15-of-your-sales/