Throughout June as National Headache and Migraine Awareness Month (MHAM), the U.S. Pain Foundation and fellow patient organizations focused their efforts on educating patients and the public about the realities of life with headache diseases. (And even though it’s July, there are still a few opportunities to learn and take action!)
Launch of the INvisible Project: Migraine & Headache 4th Edition
The month kicked off with multiple launch parties for the newest edition of the INvisible Project, which highlights 10 patients and families coping with varying types of headache diseases ranging from cluster headache to new daily persistent headache. You can download the full PDF of the magazine or order print copies, free of charge, by visiting the INvisible Project website.
In honor of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, on June 24, Jaime Michele Sanders (aka The Migraine Diva) will lead a diverse panel of fellow INvisible Project participants in tackling the issue of health care disparities. Nim Lalvani (Executive Director of American Migraine Foundation), Isiah Lineberry (health policy exert and a caregiver for his wife and two daughters, who live with migraine), and LaQuinda Mccoy (a patient advocate for migraine and other diseases, and a former nurse) will share how discrimination and implicit bias has negatively impacted their access to appropriate medical treatment.
U.S. Pain Foundation has released the INvisible Project: Migraine and headache diseases, 4th edition, just in time for Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, which is celebrated each June. The publication highlights 10 individuals living with headache and migraine diseases and includes articles from experts in the field.
To read the entire edition, click here. To order copies of the magazine, go here.
Headache and migraine diseases captured attention nationally throughout February thanks to features on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s Sunday Morning Show, and PBS’s NewsHour. Members of the INvisible Project were highlighted on all three stations.
On Feb. 25, Dr. William B. Young, a headache specialist at Jefferson Headache Center and contributing writer for the INvisible Project, discussed the reality and severity of millions of Americans who have migraine disease on the Sunday Morning Show.
City & state: Fremont, California
Age: 41
Pain warrior role: U.S. Pain advocate since 2018
What type of health conditions you live with: Chronic migraine disease, adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency (caused Cushing’s disease), trigeminal neuralgia, IBS, and IBD.
What is your favorite tip for others with chronic pain: “I cope by advocating. Talking about my experiences and connecting with others that have just begun navigating some of the hurdles I’ve overcome helps me feel like I’m giving back.”
On July 10, U.S. Pain Foundation took its INvisible Project: Migraine Edition displays to Sacramento, CA, for an educational event at the state capitol building. The INvisible Project is a print magazine and traveling display that highlights the stories of real pain warriors. By bringing these stories to state capitols, the hope is to educate lawmakers about the challenges of living with chronic pain. Prior to California, the tour visited Providence, RI; more locations will be announced soon.
You are invited to connect with legislators and fellow pain warriors–and help create awareness around the issue of chronic pain, especially migraine disease–during our July 10 INvisible Project event at the California state house!
The INvisible Project is a print magazine and traveling display that highlights the stories of real people with pain. This year, we’re bringing the displays from our most recent edition on migraine disease to state houses across the country.
On May 21, U.S. Pain Foundation held the first stop of its INvisible Project state house tour at the state capitol in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Contact: Nicole Hemmenway at nicole@invisibleproject.org
Middletown, CT (June 1, 2019)– In time for Migraine & Headache Awareness Month, U.S. Pain Foundation has released its third edition of the INvisible Project focusing on headache and migraine diseases. The publication depicts the reality of life with pain, and why people living with headaches diseases need and deserve more help, treatment options, and research. It also serves as an inspiration to those living with the disease, offering hope and resources.