As a teenager, Mia Formato began having unusual skin symptoms. Her red fingers and swollen hands continued in college and were joined by unexplained bouts of fatigue. Eventually she experienced extreme fatigue and pain that left her unable to walk up a flight of stairs, despite running a half marathon a few months before.
She went to the ER, desperate to find out what was going on. After being tested for everything under the sun, a myositis panel revealed that she had dermatomyositis (DM). She thought, “I can’t believe it took 10 years to get a diagnosis for this serious disease. How is that possible?”
Will you help people like Mia, whose young lives are permanently changed by myositis?
Ironically, Mia works in biomedical research and does muscle research at work. She found The Myositis Association (TMA) online. Mia thought, “Please tell me other people go through this. Will I be disabled? Can I lead a normal life?”
She was so relieved to find TMA. Not only did she learn a lot about DM, but she read about people living reasonable lives with the disease. “TMA is also advocating in the world, promoting awareness among researchers and medical professionals, which is so important.”
This awareness is particularly critical because DM is an invisible illness, and it’s hard to communicate what she is going through – even to her supportive friends. “The more TMA reaches out to the world, the more people know these diseases exist.”
Please make a gift today to help raise awareness about myositis and help people like Mia.
TMA cannot make this impact without your generosity! Thank you for supporting us during Myositis Awareness Month.
TMA hopes to raise $70,000 for Myositis Awareness Month – please help us reach our goal!