2nd Annual "Cupcakes For Annie" Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness Campaign

Last year, my friends at Adrenal Insufficiency United launched an awareness campaign called "Cupcakes for Annie." Anything involving cupcakes must be good, right? And easy. But what a difference a cupcake can make, if it helps people to THINK Addison's! So here's what it's all about:

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.

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.

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.)

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