Ignore No More:
African American Women & Sarcoidosis Campaign
“I'm speaking out because I care about my community. We can no longer afford to ignore.”
– Jeryl Prescott Gallien.
We are honored to be working with actor, Jeryl Prescott Gallien to raise awareness of sarcoidosis in African American women through the Ignore No More Campaign. Prescott Gallien is best known for her roles in AMC’s “The Walking Dead” (Jacqui), DC Universe’s “The Swamp Thing” (Madame Xanadu), Netflix’s Resort to Love (Naomi King), and most recently “All the Queen’s Men” (Judge Martha), currently streaming on BET Plus.
Prescott Gallien’s passion for raising awareness for sarcoidosis among African American women stems from her own difficult journey and her recent diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis, in addition to her previously diagnosed pulmonary and ocular sarcoidosis. View the video below to hear more about her journey with sarcoidosis and why she’s speaking out.
To learn more about sarcoidosis and how it impacts your organs click here. Cardiac sarcoidosis is the second leading cause of death among sarcoidosis patients, yet it is severely underdiagnosed. Learn more here.
African American women bear the greatest burden when compared to all other groups impacted by sarcoidosis.
They experience higher hospitalization and mortality rates and are more severely impacted by the disease with more organ involvement and severe symptoms than Caucasians and African American men.
The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) launched the Ignore No More: African American Women & Sarcoidosis (AAWS) Campaign to address these disparities by engaging our sarcoidosis community – patients and providers – to better understand how sarcoidosis impacts African American women.
By raising awareness, FSR hopes to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for this population.
African American women:
Meet the Faces of the Campaign
We are thrilled to introduce the two committees leading this effort as advisors and advocates for the campaign. Learn more about our passionate Women of Color Patient Advisory Committee and esteemed Women of Color Clinical Advisory Committee.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
This campaign is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors Global Genes and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
Sources:
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