BY MICKI HOGAN JAN 31, 2014 IN HEALTH Story site Click here
Cookie Hopper, a dedicated Ankylosing Spondylitis Awareness Advocate and founder of the Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis project is nominated for the WEGO Health Activist Awards.
Each year the WEGO website invites the public to nominate and endorse individuals who through out the year have dedicated themselves to making a difference in the health care community.
This year Cookie Hopper was one of the many chosen to be nominated. She has been nominated for two awards, Health Activist Hero and Geek Health Activist.
Cookie Hopper is an advocate and awareness leader for the disease Ankylosing Spondylitis. Ankylosing Spondylitis (also known as A.S.) is a debilitating autoimmune disease that primarily affects the spine. It also can affect other organs of the body and cause often severe chronic pain and spinal fusion which can cause the patient mobility issues. As with most autoimmune disease, the body immune system does not work correctly, often producing white blood cells that attack certain areas of the body as if it was a virus. In A.S. often it is the hips and spine most affected. The disease also affects the eyes, brain, and other organs. It lowers the patient's immunities and day to day life for the patient becomes hard to endure due to the fatigue and chronic pain experienced each day by the patient. There is no known cure and treatment options is mostly limited to biologic treatments which at this time can only slow the process of the disease.
Not only does Cookie dedicate her life to raising awareness for the disease, she is also a patient who suffers from the disease herself. After of dear friend of hers lost his battle with the disease, Cookie dedicated her life to ensuring no patient would ever feel alone. That every patient would have a voice. Cookie created the Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis project. The project is built around a website that shares the picture and short bio of over 1000 A.S. patients. Cookie reached the milestone of 1000 faces in 2013 and she continues to add faces as they join the growing circle of A.S. patients in the site. If you are a patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis, you are encouraged to share your story with Cookie by emailing her atCookiehasas@aol.com
She has personal goals for the website including one day adding Mick Mars of the band Motley Crew to the site. He has been enduring the battle of the disease since the age of 17 while standing strong and continuing to play with the band even though he suffers from the chronic pain of the disease and has suffered from complete spinal fusion.
Because of Cookie Hopper's dedication, many A.S. patients have been united through her diligent networking. She has created a safe haven for patients to connect with each other and a safe place for them to express their feelings.
This group can be found on Facebook. It is a private group exclusive for patients and family members. Many have found the group to be a life changing place. Often a patient of A.S. feels alone because the disease is still fairly unknown and this outlet has provided A.S. patients the opportunity to unite with others suffering from the same chronic issues and thus they discover they are not alone.
She has recently been developing a new campaign called Stamping out A.S. a fundraiser in which you can buy and use stamps with the Faces of A.S. logo or the blue A.S. ribbon. She also has another project she plans to begin this spring which will be kept under wraps until the project begins.
Cookie currently has 199 endorsements and the members of the group hope she wins the award. She has been a staple in the A.S. community and some of the group members have affectionately nicknamed her the "Mama Bear". As a patient of the disease and such a strong force of awareness, she gives strength to those who often need it the most.
If you wish to endorse Cookie Hopper click here:
Endorse Cookie Hopper for the HAAward
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