How the community stayed strong in the Move Against Migraine
In 2020, we were blown away by the resilience of our members in the face of migraine and COVID-19. The outpouring of compassion and kindness we saw in our Move Against Migraine Facebook group and on social media speaks to how we support each other through the good, the bad and the migraine. Thanks to our community, we collectively advocated for migraine. In addition, we contributed to research and demonstrated that we were more relentless than migraine or the pandemic.
As we look to 2021 and our vision for the Foundation in the coming years, here are some of the wins that we want to celebrate.
Helping the Community Adapt to the “New Normal”
COVID-19 increased stress and affected treatment for many living with migraine. As part of our promise to the community, the AMF worked with public health experts and headache specialists to bust common myths about masks and provide up-to-date information about the virus and migraine. To promote migraine self-care, we developed a weekly wellness program to help members practice mindfulness. They also learned more about living well during a stressful time. In addition, put together a telemedicine guide to help people living with migraine access care during the pandemic.
Caring for Children with Migraine
Children have migraine, too. This year, the AMF doubled down on its commitment to children living with migraine and their caregivers, launching a pediatric migraine resource hub full of videos, articles and guides. From a primer for school nurses and teachers to a free, downloadable guide for parents, our resources are designed to help children with migraine thrive in all areas of life.
Supporting Research
Migraine research paves the way for better treatments and understanding of this disease. The American Migraine Foundation is proud to support people with migraine as a whole by connecting patients with researchers looking to make a difference. This year, members of our community weighed in on how they dealt with migraine medications. This helped researchers secure patient-focused research funding. Patients also shared their insights about oxygen therapy for cluster headache treatment and telemedicine to help push for increased access to migraine treatment.
We also participated in Giving Tuesday, calling on the community to stand together and raise money for research.
Training the Next Generation of Advocates
To develop and support migraine advocates throughout the United States, we launched the Emerging Advocate Program. The program offers participants education, training and guidance as they work on a project to support national migraine advocacy. The inaugural class of advocates is currently learning how to move against migraine on a local level. So we’re excited to see how they positively impact their communities.
We know that our community is ready to make 2021 a banner year for migraine advocacy and research.
Together, we are as relentless as migraine.
