WHAT: "Cupcakes for Annie" Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness Campaign
WHEN: April 1-13, 2013
(to correspond to Annie's birthday, April 7,
and the discoverer of Addison's Disease, Thomas Addison's birthday, April 2, 1793)
WHO?
Addison's and all forms of adrenal insufficiency are rare, but there are at least 200,000 people in the United States who are affected. Many more are probably undiagnosed, like Annie was.
WHY?
Addison's is life-threatening in the event of illness, trauma, or injury, because if medicine isn't given within 30 minutes, a person in crisis could die. And ambulances typically don't have the emergency injection of Solu-Cortef on board that is required to save a person's life. The bottom line: the trip to the ER might not be fast enough. Adrenal Insufficiency United's goal is to have Solu-Cortef on board ALL ambulances by 2015.
WHY?
Addison's is life-threatening in the event of illness, trauma, or injury, because if medicine isn't given within 30 minutes, a person in crisis could die. And ambulances typically don't have the emergency injection of Solu-Cortef on board that is required to save a person's life. The bottom line: the trip to the ER might not be fast enough. Adrenal Insufficiency United's goal is to have Solu-Cortef on board ALL ambulances by 2015.
AWARENESS SAVES LIVES
Awareness of Addison's and adrenal insufficiency, and having the emergency injection of Solu-Cortef on ambulances saves lives. Solu-Cortef is cheap--usually under $10.00 per vial, and has a shelf-life of 5 years. All EMS technicians should have it in their tool boxes, and every emergency physician should be able to recognize the symptoms of Addison's and an adrenal crisis, which can include:
Bronze skin (especially on the skin creases or scars)
Dehydration
Fatigue, weakness, muscle aches
Low blood sugar
Low blood pressure, especially when standing
Stomach pain, nausea or vomiting
Weight loss
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Print out this "Cupcakes For Annie" flyer.
2. Bake, buy or ask your local bakery to donate (show them the flyer) a dozen cupcakes. (Pink cupcakes are preferable, but entirely optional!)
3. Take the cupcakes to your local 1. fire station, 2. hospital, 3. church, or 4. school, and tell them about Addison's Disease.
4. Take a picture of your adventure.
5. Send it to me.
5. Send it to me.
BONUS PRIZE
Everyone who takes cupcakes to a fire station, hospital, church or school, takes a picture, and sends it to me by April 21, 2013, will have their story published on this blog and be entered to win a $50 Starbucks gift card. Pretty cool to be able to have your cupcake and coffee too, eh?
(Contest winner will be announced by April 30, 2013.)
(Contest winner will be announced by April 30, 2013.)
So there you have it--all you need to know to make a difference for people with Addison's and adrenal insufficiency--like Annie.
Happy "Cupcakes for Annie" Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness-Making!
Jean
5 comments:
Fantastic idea!!!! xox
Thanks, Andrea!
I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter, Annie.
You might add lose of appetite and lose of weight as a symptom. I was loosing a pound a day when things got so bad that my doctor admitted me to the hospital. I was on coma watch that night and was correctly diagnosed with Addisons....only because a nurse noticed how tan I was for February....I was in my late twenties when this happened. I remember having symptoms of almost blacking out upon standing and the kids making fun of my skin color whwn I was in high school. Once again I'm so sorry for your loss.
This is a great idea, and my family will be participating. I sought care at an urgent care clinic the day before my first adrenal crisis (before I knew I had Addisons). I could barely walk on my own but was told it was nothing but a minor infection. That night I went to the ER and was dismissed by the doctor as being "dramatic" when I stated I felt like I was dying. He didn't even run a blood test. Later that night I had a grand mal seizure and when I was admitted unconscious to the ER by ambulance, my sodium level was only 99. The doctor (different doctor) told my family I most likely wouldn't make it and would have severe brain damage if I did by some miracle survive. I did experience a miracle and pulled through after several days in a coma, and without brain trauma. If anyone had known about Addison's or taken me seriously, it never would have gotten to that point. God bless you and I am so sorry for your loss. What a sweet, beautiful girl Annie was, and I do believe she is whole and happy in Jesus's presence today.
Anonymous--thank you so much for writing and confirming how serious--how life-threatening Addison's is. And, you're right, weight loss is definitely part of the picture. "Skinny & tan"--what everyone wants--can be so deadly!
Cheyenne--thank you for sharing your story too. How tragic that these all are so similar!! Thank God He saved your life, and you came through unscathed! I'm so happy that your family will be joining in the Cupcakes for Annie awareness party. Anything we can do to help others avoid a repeat of these tragedies is worth it, right?
Thank you both for your kind words about Annie. She was a sweetie pie, and we miss her so much. Can't wait to see her again where all sickness will be a dim memory!
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