PJ Day 2015 - Where WG has taken me

[marta]

Hey gang,

Just wanted to share with my Wegener's family what happened on our Fourth Annual PJ Day to raise awareness for Autoimmune Disease.

For those who don't know me, I worked quite hard raising awareness for WG once diagnosed, but then one day I read an article written by Dr. Noel Rose (The Common Thread | AARDA), and at that moment, as tears ran down my face, I realized that this was the only way we would be able to see a cure in our lifetime. Working together with all the other Autoimmune Diseases. Together (and it is one disease) we make up 20% of the population. I changed my focus at that moment, and my life has never been the same. I started a foundation and named it after Dr. Rose's article - Find The Common Thread Foundation. This year a local family lost their mom and wife on February 14 to CNS Bechet's - another type of Vasculitis. She left behind four kids between 8 and 16 years old, and our town rallied on PJ day to raise money and awareness. I just dropped of a $10,000 cheque - all raised on this one day.

Together we are unstoppable.

Here are a couple of links to stuff that went down. I haven't posted the photos on the website yet, but that'll happen this week. I challenge all of you to start something PJ next year.... no matter how small, because the small magically over time turns into something big. Let's change the world for the better, together. I am absolutely certain that we can.

Previously Recorded at Marmot Basin, Jasper #1 | Breakfast Television Edmonton

Previously Recorded at Marmot Basin, Jasper #1 | Breakfast Television Edmonton

and here's our town crier, calling like it is during our record breaking attempt....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjjSbcfG-s

You all be well, be strong, and know that you're absolutely not alone.

Marta

[mishb]

Awesome work again

A sad loss to that family but a wonderful thing the town has done

[Thinker]

Way to go Marta! I saw the You Tube video on my facebook page yesterday on a link from one of the autoimmune groups I belong to and I was hoping you would post here on it. I definitely agree everyone with autoimmune diseases need to work together for awareness and advocacy, and it was so interesting to see the variety of diagnoses at PJ Day. There are so many similarities and challenges we all face. I had a great conversation with a woman with Lupus this weekend and we were able to share a lot of similar experiences and draw support from each other's stories. So many people also are unaware of autoimmune diseases and how prevalent they are. A good friend's husband was diagnosed with Type I diabetes last year and she was stunned when I told her recently it was an autoimmune disease, no one had ever told them that.

So keep up the good work and inspiration! On a side note, you had sent me a message a while ago liking my quote about sleeping women waking and moving mountains. For some reason, it never showed up on my page, but I happened to find it on someone else's page while researching something in the archives. So, thank you for that also.

Karen

[marta]

Thank you Karen.

I've met and seen many people working on raising awareness for their autoimmune diseases on line, on TV, in articles, and they don't know that their disease is of the autoimmune persuasion. There is a long way to go to raise the level of awareness, but I think this will be the only way we have a chance of seeing a cure for OUR disease in our own lifetimes. The current model of looking for a cure for each manifestation has not worked so well. It's time to change perspective and find a cure already.

Thanks again, and I look forward to your own PJ party next year.

Here's to never giving up.

[Debbie C]

Marta,you gave me goosebumps during your interview. What a great job you are doing up there.And you look wonderful ! You are so right that with sooo many people that have an AI disease and not know it,that it would be nice to get a worldwide challenge ( like the ice bucket challenge for ALS) for this to bring more awareness. Thanks for working so hard for all of us

[Allisonquast]

Way to go Marta! You were our first life line when we began this journey. Your fearless passion for the cause is admirable. We have watched PJ day grow, who knows what the next years will bring but if a cure is out there it's going to be because of people like you.