Thank you for showing up in numbers this MHAM. Let’s take a look back to all that we did together in June and how the migraine community can ride the success into the future.
Last month, for Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM), we asked you to tell your migraine story. We asked you to share your photos. We asked you to be yourselves—and you showed up. For most, June was the beginning of summer, but for the migraine community, it was more than that. In June, the world saw what migraine truly looks like because of your willingness to be open and, at times, even vulnerable.
Let’s take a moment to look back at all that we did together in June and how we can continue to build on our successes.
June is here–which means it’s National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (aka #MHAM)! Share this with your friends and family so they can see how to participate in MHAM and help raise awareness about #migraine! Visit our website to learn more:https://t.co/pnGTvXWs91 pic.twitter.com/YWYEB4AIF3
— American Migraine Foundation (@amfmigraine) June 1, 2022
Advocating for Treatment Access
This year’s MHAM was all about advocating for better treatment access and—since it is widely unknown outside of the migraine community—spreading awareness that treatment for migraine comes with hurdles.
To display these hurdles first hand, we asked you to share your treatment access stories. From new patients to longtime patients, every story we received was unique, authentic and eye-opening. You can view a few of the many inspiring treatment access stories we received on our MHAM landing page. And, if you haven’t already, please continue the movement by telling us your unique treatment access story.
This #MHAM, AMF is focusing on advocating for treatment access. Our community has been sharing its treatment access stories. Each one has been powerful and genuine. It’s an encouragement for anyone living with #migraine. Check them out here:https://t.co/pnGTvYe30z pic.twitter.com/IhyciZF8aq
— American Migraine Foundation (@amfmigraine) June 17, 2022
Showing While Telling
Starting in June, the AMF community was also given the chance to share their Two Faces of Migraine. Because it is not always obvious who lives with migraine, these side-by-side photos of migraine patients on a good and bad day revealed the severity of migraine while showing how strong and relentless they are against it.
The Two Faces of Migraine campaign was part of our “This is Migraine” week when we shared the true facts about migraine’s impact. While the facts and numbers of migraine are shocking, they can seem like they’re just numbers on a screen. Nothing makes an impact quite like seeing the face of someone who is fighting a migraine attack.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these photos are worth millions. You can continue to contribute to the story by submitting your Two Faces of Migraine.
We are overwhelmed by our Move Against Migraine group banding together to show the world the two faces of migraine. We may not always show it but we're constantly living with migraine. Join the group and help reveal the truth about this invisible disease:https://t.co/pjeomfOyXi pic.twitter.com/AJd4vqegMU
— American Migraine Foundation (@amfmigraine) June 10, 2022
Pledge to Move Against Migraine
In this unique opportunity, community members had the chance to take a pledge to never let migraine define who they are. Those who pledged received an exclusive virtual “sticker” that they could share with friends on social media to encourage them to pledge and move against the disease that affects so many.
But the pledge didn’t stop with MHAM. Take the pledge today!
Migraine State of the Union
We closed this years’ MHAM out with our annual Migraine State of the Union. Hosted by Dr. Lawrence Newman, AMF Chair, the live webinar featured a panel of doctors and advocates who discussed the progress and future of migraine research, treatment, education and patient advocacy.
This year’s panelists included Dr. Christine Lay, AMF Vice-Chair; Dr. Andrew Charles, AHS President; Dr. Rashmi Halker Singh, Associate Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic; and Cherise Irons, Patient Advocate and AMF Emerging Advocate graduate.
If you were unable to join us for the live webinar, you can view the recording here.
Moving Forward for Migraine
June’s Migraine and Headache Awareness Month was a success, no doubt. And it was all made possible by you. Though we are taking time to celebrate our achievements, the work isn’t over and it didn’t end on June 30. Let every day serve as Migraine and Headache Awareness Day so as to keep the momentum going to educating others about migraine and advocating for individuals with migraine.
Please, continue to share our doctor-verified resources, your treatment access stories and your Two Faces of Migraine.Thank you, as always, for your dedication to the American Migraine Foundation and the migraine community.
Reviewed for accuracy by the American Migraine Foundation’s subject matter experts, headache specialists and medical advisers with deep knowledge and training in headache medicine. Click here to read about our editorial board members.