PFF Suggests Ways to Recognize Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month
September is recognized as Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) Awareness Month, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is suggesting a host of ways to get involved in increasing awareness for the disease.
Last year, PFF’s awareness efforts on social media reached 915,000 people. This year, the organization hopes to increase that number to one million.
PFF has an official planning guide reporting its initiatives to recognize and celebrate PF Awareness Month. Suggestions include asking local governments to issue a PF Awareness Month proclamation (go here for a template in MS Word), or to participate in the “Blue it Up for PF” (#BlueUp4PF) campaign by wearing the color blue in clothes, hair, fingernails, and elsewhere.
The fingers, toes, and lips of pulmonary fibrosis patients can often turn blue, which is why this was the color to represent the disease. People are encouraged to take a selfie and post it on social media using the hashtag #BlueUp4PF.
Wearing a blue wig or dying your hair blue is a popular choice. Participants can download the “selfie” sign to post their location on social media.
Another PFF suggestion is to get local buildings or landmarks to “go blue,” which means to change their evening lighting to blue to help spread awareness of the disease (an example of a letter of request in MS Word can be found here). Several buildings are already participating in #BlueUp4PF 2018 (see the complete list here).
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The foundation also suggests personalizing your social media profile with profile pictures and timeline photos available at PFF’s PF Awareness Month page. A status update can be made as to why you support the initiative, and the hashtags #BlueUp4PF and #PFMonth should be used.
A top way to increase awareness about PF is to teach others about the impact of the disease, so PFF has launched the “30 Facts in 30 Days” campaign on social media.
The idea is to share a trusted and medically accurate fact about the disease each day of the month. People can like, share, re-tweet, or comment on the 30 facts that will be posted throughout September.
PFF also encourages patients and families to share their own story as a way to spread awareness. An email can be sent to [email protected].
Another initiative is to take part in one of the PFF Walks, either in person or virtually, to raise funds. A walk is set for Sept. 15 in Chicago and Oct. 14 in Washington, D.C. To register, please visit this link.
The foundation also encourages people to attend events or to host their own, as they are great ways to connect with others within the PF community. Ideas include bake sales; garage or estate sales; walks, runs, marathons or half marathons; happy hour or trivia events; and sports outings. The PFF offers guidance in how to host an event.
A complete listing of events already scheduled can be found here.
PFF is a leading patient advocacy organization for pulmonary fibrosis that actively engages the PF community, and has developed essential programs to help those with the disease. It also funds research to help develop effective therapies.
PFF invites everyone to follow the foundation on social media through its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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