4 Ways to Join the ‘Step Up For Vitiligo’ Campaign
This past March, the Vitiligo Working Group launched the “Step Up For Vitiligo” campaign, a movement created to build vitiligo awareness and support – and it’s time for others with vitiligo to step up too.
The Vitiligo Working Group (VWG) is an international team of dermatologists and scientists from 15 countries working to improve the lives of people with vitiligo and unite awareness and research efforts around the condition. The group brings together clinicians, researchers, support group, industry leaders, patients, advocacy groups and regulatory bodies to educate people about vitiligo and treatments and find a cure. Now that’s a mission we can get behind.
Named to reflect the need for action in the vitiligo community, the campaign encourages people to “step up” for vitiligo – as advocates, awareness raisers, ambassadors and supporters. So how can you step up for vitiligo? We’ve got the answers.
Follow the campaign on social media.
VWG is taking its campaign to social media, sharing news and stories about the vitiligo community on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Join the conversation by following along and sharing their content with your own community. Every time you share their posts, you increase the reach of the campaign – and raise awareness for vitiligo.
Use the hashtag #StepUp4Vitiligo to tell your story as a girl with vitiligo
Telling your own story increases awareness and builds the case for research and funding. There aren’t enough people talking about their lives with vitiligo to demand substantial action towards finding a cure for vitiligo right now. But you can change that. Every time you share your picture or your story on Twitter and Instagram, use the hashtag #StepUp4Vitiligo to join the campaign and do your part to raise awareness.
Share the campaign video, “Vitiligo: Hope, Truth & Change”
At the center of the campaign is the award-winning video, Vitiligo: Hope, Truth and Change. Featuring powerful stories from vitiligo doctors and patients, the video explains the state of vitiligo today – who has it, what it is and how to treat it, and how emotionally and psychologically devastating it can be. If you’ve ever struggled to help your friends and family understand what you’re going through, this video will do it for you. It captures the emotional journey of living with vitiligo and explains the science and facts behind it.
Host a fundraiser for patient support and research through the Vitiligo Working Group
The VWG advances international research, treatment and advocacy efforts for the vitiligo community. Research isn’t cheap though – and there is little funding towards research today. You can directly impact the ability of doctors around the world to advance research and find a cure by making a donation. If you’re even more ambitious though, you can take on a fundraiser and raise both awareness and funds at the same time. Check out http://www.vitiligoworkinggroup.com/ to learn more about donating.
So there you have it. The campaign needs you. People with vitiligo around the world need you. Will you step up for vitiligo?
i have been living with vitiligo for morthan 5yaer and now its time i step up
My vitiligo appeared overnight after my son was killed in a car crash , the doctor said stress and trauma can bring it on .
It’s mainly on my trunk and inner thighs however it’s the numourous other symptoms that morph over time , like joint pain, feeling low and tired ???? and I seem to pick up colds very easily. All apparently to do with ones autoimmune system, I’ve tried many natural remedies over the years to boost my system B and D vitamins seem to help , as far as research into the condition, it doesn’t appear to be important enough sadly ,,so where do we all go from here ? Does anyone listen or care ?
Pam, I’m truly sorry to hear about your son. Although vitiligo isn’t “caused” by stressed, it can be triggered by stress and it’s not uncommon for people to develop it after a particularly traumatic experience including the death of a loved one. You are not alone in that. There is a lot happening in the vitiligo research arena today and new clinical trials are on the way. You might consider seeing a vitiligo specialist to talk about treatment options. The UMass Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center just released a map of vitiligo specialists from around the world – check out our blog about it at http://livingdappled2.wpengine.com/find-vitiligo-specialist-need-see-one/. Also, feel free to email me at erika@livingdappled.com with any other questions!