Re: 's Challange

[Guest guest]

, this was just wonderful. Thank-you so much for not only the work it took to write the letter, but for sharing it with everyone. One thing I had learned long ago, seemed to have forgotten, and now need; is that people do need just that little push, the helping hand to move forward on their own.

I for one, will forward not only the letter to my family, who was devastated upon my diagnosis, but I am now.............OOPS....I did now stop and made out a check, the envelope and stamped it, and will finally forward my donation to the Foundation. I can't tell you how many times, I printed the address, forwarded an email to work - thinking I would take care of it there.

Your letter not only will inspire others, it will inspire us!!! Thank-you. Kathy -Cather

My Challange To The RP Group :)Hi all I hope you all are having pain free days! I finnaly sat my @ss down and wrote my letter to friends and family, I hope you read it, steel from it, make your own - whatever please just do one you will feel so glad you did it.I am sending them out in the Mail on Friday. I challlange my fellow RP buddies to use mine or write your own and send out at least 10.I am gonna bug you all for the next two weeks to see who of you took my chalange to help out the Foundation in the Name of RP!Good Luck all and I look forward to reading your letters or like I said have at mine!Below is my letter I hope you enjoy it! Pidigfower@...Dear Family and Friends, Feb. 14th 2002As we all get older " certain things " become more important and other things become less important in our lives. My life has changed internally as well as externally (as many of you can relate to). Internally, I have found the strength to move to yet another level and during that time I have learned some lessons on how it is so important to live every day of your life to the fullest. I have learned to accept my disorder and as it turns out I have learned there is no magic pill as crazy as that sounds, nor are there guaranties of well being.I can honestly and openly tell all of you now that time is of the essence for those with Relapsing Polychondritis. Some of the stories are 100% worse then mine and some don't even make it to tell their story. I can not sit back and watch this disorder claim its next victim or worry about my child and " what ifs " anymore. As some of you might have heard, Pharmaceutical Companies and Researchers are on the cutting edge right now with treatments to slow down the immune system in those with Autoimmune disorders such as RA. The reason RA gets the attention it does is because; RA affects millions and millions. In Relapsing Polychondritis (RP) we are not many, in a way that good but when you are the one with the disorder it is very sad. I along with 215 people I know with RP want and demand the attention of the Researchers and Pharmaceutical Companies so we also can have hope and maybe even a cure. The only real " hope " I have had in over three years was a seven month period of clinical remission only to fall ill once again but then again I have found out how it got its name " Relapsing " . As for a cure that is my last and only hope, and if I can't get a cure I want more full remissions for longer periods of time. I am now asking for your support. There is a Relapsing Polychondritis Foundation (brand new)! We have collected enough money over the year to send a grant to the Virginia Mason Clinic in the state of Washington for $1,000.00 to help fund in the one and only research being done to date on RP by a Dr. Jane Buckner. Several years ago Dr. Buckner wrote us letters asking for our DR's. at home to draw our blood for her study, in which many of us did. With the new RP foundation getting out the information on a timely basis and the research being conducted at the Virginia Mason Clinic I know its only a matter of time and money. So wont you please help in my journey. I wish I could tell you I would walk 60 miles to raise the money from you like some other Foundations do but bottom line here I cant. What I can do is supply you with all the information up to date on my disorder and try to beat this disorder by following the medical advise from my Doctors as for now.I would like to share a dream of mine with you. My dream is that one day (soon) there will be vaccinations to all Autoimmune disorders available to be given out at birth for all in the world. I know it's a dream but the RP Foundation needs more help to make my dream come true.If you would like to pledge your support in a challenging disorder, this would be the one. You can send you're donation directly to the Relapsing Polychondritis Support and Awareness Foundation by mailing itto: RP Foundation c/o Colloran 775 Bounty Place Manteca, CA 95337-Or- if you wish you can mail to me to forward to the Foundation. To read more about RP please visit: www.polychondritis.orgWith all my love, Pritchard