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ST. LOUIS WALK: A VICTORY
FOR THE COMMUNITY
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Marfan.org
AWARENESS
FEBRUARY IS
MARFAN AWARENESS
MONTH
February is our month, the time for
all of us in the Marfan syndrome and
related disorders community to
amplify our efforts to raise awareness
of Marfan syndrome and related
disorders. Here’s why:
•
There are still people who have
Marfan syndrome and are not
diagnosed. Without treatment,
they are at risk of a sudden early
death from a tear of their aorta.
With a diagnosis and treatment,
their medical issues can be
managed and they can take
steps to avoid a tragedy. You
can save a life.
•
There are people with a diagnosis
who still feel alone. They don’t
know that we have a warm and
welcoming community ready to
provide support, share informa-
tion, and help them on their
journey. You can be the one who
connects them to The Marfan
Foundation.
•
There are people in your com-
munity who don’t know about
Marfan syndrome or related
disorders. By helping them to
understanding these conditions,
you can make your community a
better place for you and your
family to live with your diagnosis.
•
There are doctors who are not
familiar with the latest on Marfan
syndrome and related disorders;
perhaps they are your doctors or
other doctors in your community.
By providing them with new
information, you can improve
your care and the care of others.
What can you do? Go to Marfan.org
and click on Get Involved then
Volunteer. You can also email
volunteer@marfan.org.
“MY FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS KNEW I HAD A HEALTH PROBLEM, BUT DIDN’T KNOW MUCH
ABOUT IT. THROUGH THE WALK FOR VICTORY, THEY LEARNED MORE ABOUT MARFAN SYNDROME,
AND ARE EVEN MORE SUPPORTIVE OF ME,” SAID LAURA TORODE, BOTTOM ROW, LEFT, WITH
TEAM TORODE.
comfortable. “It’s so powerful to be part
of the Walk for Victory with others in
our community and your own friends
and family,” said Laura. “You can really
feel the energy when we’re all together.”
The Walk for Victory is coming to
these states in 2015:
•
Arizona (Scottsdale)
•
Georgia (Roswell)
•
New York (Woodbury)
•
Massachusetts (Salem)
•
New Jersey (Paramus)
•
Missouri (St. Louis).
Check our website for details.
The Marfan Foundation’s St. Louis
chapter has a long history and has been
energized over the years by supporting
the annual family conference twice
(when it was hosted by Washington
University School of Medicine) and the
Heartworks St. Louis gala, an annual
event. Still, according to Laura Torode,
the chapter president, it is challenging
to bring the local Marfan syndrome and
related disorders community together for
informal gatherings where they can share
experiences and bring new people in.
Enter The Marfan Foundation’s Walk
for Victory, which was held in St. Louis
in October, and attracted more than 100
people from near and far. Dawn Pulliam,
a long-time member of the chapter, said,
“What makes the walk so special is that
it is a way to bring our family and friends,
who make up our own support networks,
into the fold. I was honestly shocked by
the number of people who came and
was thrilled to meet new people from
our area.”
The Walk for Victory works, says Laura,
because it is fun for a variety of age
groups. And if you’ve never been to a
local event before, it’s completely
DAWN PULLIAM, PICTURED HERE WITH HER
HUSBAND, ROB, AND DAUGHTERS RILEY AND
BROOKE, WHO HAS MARFAN SYNDROME LIKE
HER MOM.