Over the past few weeks, many of you have responded to the Face of Lymphedema Challenge: you have created awareness-building videos, and you have become members. We thank you.
Prevalent, Yet Unknown and Underfunded
Up to 10 million Americans, and hundreds of millions worldwide, suffer from lymphedema and lymphatic diseases. More people suffer from these diseases in the United States than suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, ALS, Parkinson's disease, and AIDS -- combined. Yet, because lymphatic diseases and lymphedema are often misdiagnosed or untreated, they remain unknown by most. This results in little focus on research for treatments and cures, a dearth of therapists to treat the disease, a lack of insurance coverage for even basic treatment, and a severe psychosocial price paid by sufferers who feel embarrassed by the disease and shunned by society.
LE&RN Is Striving to Make Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases Visible
LE&RN programs and accomplishments include:
- research fellowships
- a patient registry and tissue bank
- scholarships for lymphedema therapists
- the field's only peer-reviewed journal (Lymphatic Research & Biology)
- free bi-monthly live-stream symposiums
- direct access to researchers and medical practitioners through "Ask the Experts"
- a weekly news publication, Lymphedema & Lymphatic Disease Matters
- LE&RN helped to establish the only Chair in Lymphatic Research & Medicine (Stanford University)
We simply cannot continue to make further strides without you. If you haven't already, please join us. Become a member, today.
