Did you know IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day is May 14? It was a day created by the IgA Nephropathy Foundation to not only bring awareness to IgA Nephropathy but also to provide resources, expand community, and increase assistance for the tens of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of people globally who live with the condition. Learn more about the importance of this day and how you can help drive awareness. 

Why is IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day important? 

While there currently is no cure for IgA Nephropathy, the IgA Nephropathy community’s work to bring awareness is advancing the progress as treatment medications are being created and approved by the FDA. With your help, IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day can continue to build on the momentum by spreading knowledge and stories of each other’s experiences. 

How can you help?

As an #IgANWarrior, you can post and share how the Foundation has helped you. IgA nephropathy can be managed in ways that may postpone the need for a kidney transplant, but people first need to be able to recognize the symptoms. With the help of the Foundation, individuals with IgA nephropathy can become more aware of their condition and feel supported by a network of people who truly understand what they’re going through. 

So, how can you help? The most effective form of content is a story that is personal and will resonate with others like you. Here are some ways to share your story and drive awareness on social media prior to and on IgA Nephropathy Day:

• Record and upload a short video, answering this question in 10 seconds: How did you feel when you found your #IgANWarrior family.
• Create a post or share a photo and caption it with a moment from your personal journey. 
• Like, share, or retweet the IgA Nephropathy Foundation’s posts on social media

You can use the hashtags #IgANAware and #IgANWarrior and tag the IgA Nephropathy Foundation in your posts, to enable others to engage with your posts. Other helpful hashtags include #IgANDay, #youarenotalone, #raredisease, #kidneydisease, and #IgANephropathy. 

The handles for the IgA Nephropathy Foundation are:

• Facebook: @The IGA Nephropathy Foundation 
• Instagram and Twitter: @iganfoundation
• LinkedIn: @The IgA Nephropathy Foundation

If you have any questions about IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day or how you can contribute to its success, you can contact: Gisela Delgado (IgANephropathy Foundation) at gisela@igan.org, or Diana Pressey (CURA Strategies) at diana.pressey@curastrategies.com.