About Personalized Cause®
I have lupus. So, too, does my daughter. When we were first diagnosed, there were few medications available to treat many autoimmune diseases, including lupus. And there was very little understanding of the symptoms and triggers that caused this disease to be so unpredictable. Even criteria for diagnosing the disease were a challenge. According to the Lupus Foundation of America (2021), lupus symptoms can be unclear, come and go, and change. On average, a lupus diagnosis takes nearly six years from the time a person first notices lupus symptoms. A majority (63%) of people surveyed with lupus report being incorrectly diagnosed. That's why it's important to raise awareness and be your own advocate.
Many sites form for a specific cause or disease because someone near and dear to our hearts is struggling. This is somewhat our story, but not entirely. We created this site because of lupus, but it does not exclusively function as a lupus site. Instead, it functions as a space where medical, animal, mental health and social cause advocates can come together to advocate on behalf of themselves or others. Using simple pins, ribbons and wristbands, in both personalized and non-personalized versions, we call attention to the unseen faces behind these very important causes.
MY PERSONAL STORY ABOUT LUPUS AND WHY PERSONALIZED CAUSE® WAS CREATED
How I Became My Own Advocate
Many years ago, I was diagnosed with a disease that most people hadn’t heard about at the time. The name of the disease is lupus. At that time, I faced a great deal of misunderstanding and dismissal, as well as the stigma that comes with a chronic illness. This is especially true for a chronic illness that is also an invisible illness.
After starting on steroid treatment, I went from looking healthy to looking unwell. At that time, I wanted to keep my illness private. However, it was apparent to others that something was wrong. I didn't look or function like myself. I spent most days in bed and had difficulty caring for my young children.
Using Breast Cancer Ribbons as the Example
At the same time, I had a friend battling breast cancer. I noticed the strong sense of community that the pink cancer awareness ribbons provided for those who battled the disease. Those battling breast cancer formed a breast cancer sisterhood, so to speak, a comfortable space to share their stories. It also became clear to me that the pink cancer pins were a catalyst for spreading awareness, information, and used to advocate for breast cancer funding and treatment.
I'm a Lupus Advocate
Not long after, my daughter faced an autoimmune illness. To advocate for her and raise awareness and understanding of both our health struggles, I searched for a pin like the pink ribbon. What I found was that lupus had two colors representing it at the time (orange and purple) and that the lupus community was fractured. It almost appeared that lupus organizations, of which there were several, were competing with one another instead of uniting in a unifying force. I searched for a way to make my voice heard, purchasing and gifting the "Get into The Loop" pin sold by the Dorough Foundation to raise lupus awareness.
Still, there was nothing available that really called attention to lupus like the pink ribbon for breast cancer or the red ribbon for AIDS. I knew I couldn’t be the only one who wished to call attention to lupus. For that matter, I thought that there must be many missed opportunities to call attention to other illnesses or causes. Even social issues.
Putting a Face on a Cause
Cancer ribbons alone don’t always humanize cancer causes because they can, at times, feel generic. What I discovered is that to understand and really advocate for a cause, there needed to be a reason. The reason, I realized, is that behind every awareness ribbon is a person who is struggling. And, that someone needs support, understanding, and compassion. For this reason, I created Personalized Cause. And I created the first individually engravable awareness ribbon to include a name, date, or message
Sometimes, others need to see a name or phrase to fully grasp why a cause is personal. In my case, “My Daughter and Me,” was inscribed on the first Personalized Cause awareness ribbon. It garnered attention. It made me an advocate even when I said nothing. Soon people began to ask the meaning behind my pin and why I wore it. My engraving spoke volumes. Our logo does, too, which my daughter designed when she was in her teens and struggling to navigate this disease.
Champions for Change
Suddenly, people asked questions, trying to learn more about my personal health journey, as well as my daughter’s. And they started to educate themselves about this disease called lupus. This change in behavior demonstrated how one person raising awareness for a cause really does affect understanding and compassion. This passion can make an impact on others or ultimately help find or fund a cure. It is advocacy at its best. In other words, raising your voice and calling attention to the purpose behind a cause close to your heart.
I also experienced an unexpected result of wearing my custom awareness ribbon. For the first time, I felt empowered in a situation where I had previously felt powerless. I couldn’t control my own illness any more than I could control my daughter’s. But by wearing this purple custom ribbon pin, I found that it gave me ownership of my illness, rather than the other way around. Instead of feeling defeated by my body or trapped by my disease, I felt liberated.
Pins Can Change the World
One small awareness pin has the potential for change on both a personal and community level. Rather than advocating for only my own causes, I wanted to inspire others facing a personal health crisis, or the health crisis of a loved one. I wanted others to follow in my footsteps and advocate for themselves. I have always said it is important to put a face to an illness because that is what provides the strength to fight for a cure. It is what humanizes a situation and, perhaps, encourages others who know nothing about it to join in the fight, as well.
Honored with Social Health Network WEGO Health Award
Since those initial days, Social Health Network has twice nominated us for a Best in Show: Instagram WEGO Health Award. And, we invite you to follow us on our social media (Instagram, Facebook, X, and Pinterest) to learn more about Personalized Cause and the work we do to raise awareness. In sum, our goal is to make the world a more accepting and compassionate place to be heard while advocating for a multitude of causes. These include invisible illnesses like arthritis, and animal, cancer, rare diseases and social causes that need a voice in this world. Join us as we raise awareness one pin, ribbon, or wristband at a time.
Awareness Blog and Advocate Stories
With advocacy in mind, Personalized Cause® publishes an awareness blog. Our blog focuses on many causes and their national or international awareness observance days, weeks, or months. Please see our Awareness Calendar for observances.
Awareness Is Education, and Education Raises Awareness!
You are bound to encounter people who are affected by at least one of the many causes we represent on this site. And when you do, we hope you will make others feel understood and accepted. At Personalized Cause, we offer you simple tools to encourage someone who is struggling or feels invisible.
We hope to encourage you to pass on knowledge from our blogs to someone else who may need it. Of course, we’re not trying to turn you into a walking, talking, unlicensed WebMD. We are encouraging you to choose compassion and kindness over other uncomfortable responses.
Thank you for reading through our site and blog. We hope this information is useful and maybe even lifesaving to a friend, loved one, co-worker, family member or even yourself.
