From William Repicci, President & CEO
 Last week in New York City, “Little Island” opened to the public. This fanciful two-acre park built on concrete stilts and jutting into the Hudson River was the brainchild of media mogul Barry Diller. Mr. Diller invested over $300 million in the project, with a family foundation commitment of an additional $200 million for future upkeep. The obstacles of getting the permissions and support for such a project loomed large. Yet, as I entered the park at 6 am on its opening day, there was Barry Diller being interviewed as he looked over the lawns, walking paths, dining area, and amphitheater that will thrill countless visitors for decades.
As I took in the moment, I had one thought: where is the Barry Diller of the lymphatic world? Where is the person with the imagination and financial resources to change the course of diseases like lymphedema, lipedema, and lymphatic anomalies affecting hundreds of millions worldwide? Dedicated as so many are to this cause, there remains a dearth of research funding, abundant insurance deficiencies, and an abysmal lack of diagnosis and treatment expertise among medical practitioners. So much has been put in place to ready us for seismic change. Now we need visionaries who invest in making that change a reality. Hopefully, one of these visionaries is reading this newsletter. In the meantime, we continue with a plethora of programming and initiatives to address the needs of those living with lymphatic diseases.
I am pleased to present the May edition of Lymphedema & Lymphatic Disease Matters. |
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Registration still open for next week's Lymphatic Forum 2021
 There's still time to register for the all-virtual Lymphatic Forum 2021, which begins this Monday, May 31, and runs through June 5. Thus far, we have nearly 300 registrants who will be joining us virtually from over 20 countries, including Iran, China, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Hungary, and many more.
Registration discounts are available for members of LE&RN, NAVBO, and the Microcirculatory Society.
The Lymphatic Forum is sponsored by the Lymphatic Education & Research Network and North American Vascular Biology Association and is co-sponsored by the Microcirculatory Society. |
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Boston Lymphatic Symposiums
October 30 and November 5-6
 The Boston Lymphatic Center, a joint program between the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital, teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School, will host the 2021 Boston Lymphatic Symposiums, October 30-November 6. These events will take place entirely online. The Boston Lymphatic Center is a LE&RN Comprehensive Center of Excellence and the Symposium is held in partnership with the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN).
As this is an online event, registrants will be able to view the presentations live by webcast and have access to all recordings for 90 days after the meeting. Breakout sessions will only be available during the live webcast.
Please visit bostonlymphaticsymposium.org for more information regarding the speakers and agenda for the Patient and Clinical Symposia, respectively.
The Patient Symposium will be held October 30, 2021. The Clinical Symposium will be held November 5-6, 2021. An early-bird discount is available for those registering by June 7, 2021. |
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Save the Date: State-of-the-Art Summit Oct 12-13
In October, LE&RN will present its second virtual Lymphatic Disease State-of-the-Art Summit. Registration will be open to the entire community, with CMEs available for physicians. This two-day conference will feature the rapidly advancing realm of lymphatic research. For each of the lymphatic diseases discussed, a presentation of state-of-the-art research in that domain will be coupled with an overview of state-of-the-art clinical practice. The event will be organized and hosted by Dr. Stanley Rockson, Stanford University Professor and Chair of the LE&RN Scientific Medical Advisory Council (SMAC). |
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#LymphWalk marches on!
 Our official celebration of our first global and virtual #LymphWalk took place Saturday, April 17. We had 57 registered teams with nearly 400 walkers from around the world. Over $155,000 has been raised $155,000 for LD education, research, and advocacy.
But this #LymphWalk isn't over! LE&RN supporters are continuing to watch the celebration, to listen to speeches from our honorees, to post photos and videos on social media (use the hashtag #lymphwalk), and are still donating to this effort. To participate, just visit LymphWalk.org. |
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