It’s World PI Week! In honor of World PI Week and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation our centers participated in a ballon release.

World PI Week is about spreading the word about primary immunodeficiency. It’s an opportunity to educate and inform health policy-makers, schools, and the general public in an effort to promote early diagnosis and optimal treatment for people with primary immunodeficiency. This global event aims to create positive changes and practices to help support people living with PI.

Quick Facts About Primary Immunodeficiency

An immunodeficiency is when a part of the body’s immune system is either missing or does not function the way it should. When this problem is caused by genetics, it is called a primary, or inherited immunodeficiency. There are more than 200 forms of primary immunodeficiency, and more than 10 million people suffer from PI around the world.

PI most often shows up as “normal” infections that either don’t seem to go away or recur frequently. The biggest mistake physicians make when dealing with patients suffering from PI is that they treat the symptomatic infections without realizing that there is an underlying cause — primary immunodeficiency. Doing so can leave patients open to much more serious problems such as organ damage, physical disabilities, or even death. This is what makes it so vitally important to raise awareness about PI, both among the general public and the healthcare community.

What You Can Do to Help Raise Awareness

There are plenty of things you can do to contribute to the cause of raising awareness. Every little bit helps.

Share Your Story with The Community and The World

You can join the World PI Week campaign by simply sharing your own story. As a relative, a caregiver, a person living with some form of PI, or just as someone who wants to help, you can add your story to the World PI Week Story Book. Your story, messages of support or advice about dealing with PI will help raise awareness as well as help others. Once you’ve added your story, you can also share it through any or all of your social media profiles to spread the word even further.

Organize A World PI Week Event

The World PI Week Organization has all kinds of resources and materials available to help you organize an event in your area. You’ll find lists of past successful events to help inspire you, tools to help get the word out, and tips to make sure that your event is successful. You can also share your event through the organization’s interactive event map.

Sign the Call to Action Petition

The Global Primary Immunodeficiency’s Call To Action urges government all over the world to take steps to better understand, diagnose and manage treatment for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases. It will only take a moment to add your name to the petition and show your much-needed support for this worthy cause. Every new name on the petition helps to bolster support around the globe.

Attend an Awareness Event Near You

There are PI awareness events happening all over the world. Chances are that there’s an event coming up somewhere near you. It’s easy to use the worldpiweek.org interactive map to find one. Attending or helping with an upcoming event is a great way to lend your support.

Sponsor World PI Week

The World PI Week initiative is still very young. Started just a few years ago, in 2010, the campaign has grown substantially, but still needs the help and support of the corporate community.

Funding from corporate sponsors helps the organization to produce materials like brochures, informational videos, posters, and other campaign materials. These materials are then used to help support the worldwide efforts of PI campaigners around the globe.

If you own a company or think the company you work for might be interested in sponsoring World PI Week, you can find all the information you’ll need to get the ball rolling on the organization’s sponsorship page.

Your Involvement Makes a Difference

Big changes always begin with small steps. By getting involved with World PI Week, you’re helping people all over the world to improve their quality of life. By raising awareness about primary immunodeficiency diseases, patients, caregivers and the medical community all become better educated and better prepared to deal with these chronic illnesses. Your efforts help those living with PI to stay healthier and live longer, happier lives.