Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A Beautiful Bracelet & The Lady Behind the Incredible International Autoimmune Arthritis Foundation

How ONE Person Can Take something out of "nothing" and turn it into An Amazing Foundation For those Suffering from Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses.







... everyone--- this bracelet signifies so VERY much to those of all who suffer from the infliction of autoimmune arthritic diseases... And this dear woman that makes them by hand each one has brought so much HOPE to so many people AROUND THE GLOBE!!! I am absolutely so proud to tell everyone that I am an "Active Volunteer" for the IFAA!!! And I could not ask for more.... Rhia I will also get this posted on my blog.






I wanted to match the "reasoning" behind the bracelet and what it stand for. First of all Ifaa Tiffany Westrich-Robertson makes each and every one of them by hand. this is the way she made the very first one, thus the "Buckle Me Up Movement" began. She still continues to make them special order by hand. So, If you are wondering "why the beads" and what this stand for in it's entirety here goes. "The 3 silver beads and 3 black beads represent all people working together to make a difference. Red is the color of strength and signifies the strength we all achieve in numbers. The final silver bead symbolizes moving forward to find more and more people to join the movement to raise a global awareness about Autoimmune Arthritis."
-This explanation is packaged with each bracelet.



Also there is a "story" behind the entire background of how this bracelet was initiated by the "Buckle Me Up" Movement. From there it has transitioned twice, first to IAAM (International Autoimmune Arthritis Movement" to evolved almost like a butterfly in a cocoon to something incredible which is now a "fully Non-profited Organization known as the "International Foundation of Autoimmune Arthritis".. So through it's "growing" spurts to become a group of people so incredible is remarkable and so is the story behind it. Thus it began by a thought and a bracelet just like this one. When they were still (IAAM) that also have a beautiful motto behind that too:

( The 3 silver beads and 3 black beads represent all people working together to make a
 difference. Red is the color of strength and signifies the strength we all achieve in numbers. The final silver bead symbolizes moving forward to find more and more people to join the movement to raise a global awareness about Autoimmune Arthritis IAAM, sounded out, is "I Am". While we have change our DBA (doing business as) name to the International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis (due to the addition of research to our scope), the awareness portion of this organization is still a "Movement" of awareness. Therefore, the IAAM is on the awareness bracelets. In addition, the "Buckle Me Up!" Movement is written inside to remind each person who wears it where this all began and how far we've come as a community.

Our Message for this Autoimmune Arthritis Awareness bracelet focuses on this statement. Each bracelet is packaged with the Message below:

"I Am...
A Leader for Change,
Hopeful,
A Believer in Progress,
And Rebranding Stereotypes.
I Am an Advocate for
Autoimmune Arthritis Awareness." )



(The portions in the () are directly from International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis URL: http://ifautoimmunearthritis.org and you can also see their Facebook page at: International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis

For myself, this is the perfect opportunity to also tell why this Foundation absolutely means so very much to me. The founder Ifaa Tiffany Westrich-Robertson and her story that she has about how long she suffered well before FINALLY getting a physician that KNEW something diagnosed her, reminds me so much of myself. I also trudged along for years (like many of you) to get "misdiagnosed" with everything from "soup to nuts" as the saying goes. So, after she finally had a grip on the real reasoning behind her years of symptoms, then she knew there was a very strong need in our nation and in fact our world, of getting this out there to say "Hey Wake Up" to doctors, the medical researchers, patients and caretakers, families!!! It was TIME to do something! But what? As myself, I am but one person. I am "limited" in many ways to "get my point across to the many, many people out there that I don't have a way to fully open the doors to a grand eye opening "movement" of sorts. Yet she was able to take something so very simple, and create it, put her story and her whole reasoning for the bracelet online on the right place at the right time... and from the 1st moment of "but one" person, became thousands around the world!!!! So as I said above, I have always wanted to be able to shout out to everyone that will listen, and "heed" what I say to "DO SOMETHING" I feel "my voice" through her own battles has truly been spoken to whom I've always wanted it to. Now at the right time, and in the right place, I've been added to the glorious "fold" of men and women who share a strong desire to make all of this happen, larger, more verbally, online to potentially millions of people, that we need CHANGE> Change that means a "Quicker recognition of "symptoms" by health professionals, A Quicker diagnosis so people can "delay" or even "stop" damage of the joints and the body before it takes its toll", "Quicker medications, that take these illnesses and "kick" them out of the body, or halt them in a way that "remission" and possible wellness are something that can be achieved. and Last but not least "A Quicker, stronger, verbal, out reaching message to researchers, to those who can donate their time, or funds and help a cause have those researchers WANT to study these diseases, illnesses and syndromes to perhaps even "heal" us "before" we even know we are ill. Everything above I've said I feel a strong conviction that through the IFAA, it's Founders, and all of its Volunteers, all and more of these things will be achieved!!!!! I hope you take some time to go to their Website, go to their Face book page, ask me questions for now I am a piece of their "pie" as an Active Volunteer, and go to my own blog. I will be putting up this information, and I blog quite frequently about this group! 

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