I was originally going to make this post about the fact that after twelves long years of trying I have still not completed the challenge of 2700 Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
But this is supposed to be a blog of gratitude, so I thought long and hard about what I wanted to be grateful for today. It was not difficult to realize what I should speak of today, and that is about the people who are no longer with us, that walked the journey of Ankylosing Spondylitis just as I do.
Some of these beautiful people could no longer continue and felt that suicide was their only choice.
Some of these beautiful people are no
longer with us due to Ankylosing Spondylitis complications, issues, accidents, or
treatments although their death certificate will never reflect this.
Some of these beautiful people were just called home because
it was their time.
They are us, each, and every one of us….
We are one in the same.
My heart breaks as I add each of
their names, to many to be connected to me, how many others are there we have no idea
about.
I respect each one of these amazing people for believing in me enough to share their truths with a world who chooses not to see them.
They fought so hard to help people learn and understand what this journey with
Ankylosing Spondylitis is honestly like to live with.
I hope one I will be able to complete the challenge of 2700 Faces of AS, I owe it to them to continue to do so.
I hope they know how much I loved and respected them and how I try
so hard to continue to speak our truth with the world.
I hope you will take the time to read each of their stories.
Today I am grateful to all these amazing human beings for
helping me be able to create something beautiful out of something so devastating
to all of us.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, I pray that you are all at peace.
As I was including each of their names and links to their stories, it became very overwhelming for me, a lot of these wonderful people I had the pleasure on some small scale being a part of their lives. Their stories are OUR stories, their pain is our pain, and I carry each of them and all my faces in my heart. One day it is my hope that the medical field will take Ankylosing Spondylitis serious, and work harder to find cures for all of us, or at least pick a name and stick with it.
Ankylosing Spondylitis may not be listed as the cause of their death but I assure you it played a role in affecting the quality of life.
There are no words to express my love, respect and gratitude to them or their loved ones for being a part of Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
My heart's desire is that you are all now at peace.
Some of you walked before us.
Some of you walked beside us.
Some of you will walk behind us.
But your memory will
always be carried inside us.
Rest In Peace
May your journey be pain-free.
First person to ever be diagnosed
with Ankylosing Spondylitis
His suicide compelled me to speak about
the hard truths about Ankylosing Spondylitis
She gave me the courage to create
something beautiful
and
a post shared about her
is how I ended up coming up with
the idea of Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis
A.S. Face 0405: Michael Tracy Smith
Challenged me to do 2700
Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis
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