Depending on where you are in the world you can celebrate
#WorldLymphedemaDay (USA)
In Australia, the Australasian Lymphology Association is focusing their lymphoedema awareness campaign on early detection. You can download the "Know the Signs" pamphlet and poster from the ALA website. They also offer suggestions for organising a lymphoedema get together with support groups, patients, workplaces and local treatment centres.
Hosting an event in your community or workplace provides opportunities for practitioners, carers and patients to share their stories. To increase the reach of your event the ALA recommend contacting local media outlets to let them know about your event and have provided links to newspapers and radio stations on the #LymphoedemAwareness page.
Another initiative of the ALA is the campaign to #PutLymphoedemaOnTheList.
Did you know lymphoedema has no Medicare item number? Without a Medicare code lymphoedema does not exist in our health system.
No wonder patients and therapists struggle to find and fund adequate resources for lymphoedema management! Whether you are a lymphoedema practitioner, or someone living with lymphoedema you can add your voice to the call for lymphoedema to be appropriately recognised and rebated in our health care system. Read more on the ALA web-page.
In the UK you can join the british Societly of Lymphology #SockIt challenge and Sock It To Lymphoedema!
To join in the fun, post a photo of yourself wearing odd socks while doing something active or sporty and use the #EveryBodyCan.
In the USA, LE&RN have a campaign to petition the World Health Organization (WHO) to make awareness of lymphatic disorders and cures the global health challenge for 2020. If you do nothing else this March please sign the petition.
And every year on March 6th Niagara Falls are lit with teal blue, the colour of lymphoedema awareness
More buildings and landmarks are add to the lighting campaign every year. Can we do something to have the Sydney Opera House lit with the teal blue of lymphoedema awareness? This photo is of lighting for World Human Rights Day and it is also lit blue for World Autism Day, why not World Lymphoedema Day?
What will you do to raise #LymphoedemaAwareness this March?