The Vasculitis Foundation (www.vasculitisfoundation.org) advocates for early diagnosis, leading edge treatment, research, and ultimately a cure for all types of vasculitis. The Vasculitis Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To donate, please visit: https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/donate/
We need your help fighting vasculitis, a group of rare, orphan diseases that de
serves your attention. A vasculitis diagnosis irreversibly changes the lives of the adults and children who have it. Some patients lose their lives to it before a diagnosis is made. There is no known cause of vasculitis...no known cure. Patients need your support because their lives are irreversibly and dramatically
changed by the disease. Vasculitis wreaks havoc on lives and can cause organ loss, disability, and death. A 2010 survey of vasculitis patients and caregivers, found that 28 percent of patients are on disability due to vasculitis and 26 percent needed to change their work capacity to accommodate their illness. Additionally, 25 percent of family members surveyed reported the death of a loved one due to vasculitis. Vasculitis effects people of all ages, from children to adults. Autoimmune in the nature, a vasculitis patient’s own immune system causes inflammation that damages arteries, veins, or capillaries. This inflammation may narrow blood vessels, cause aneurisms, as well as block vital blood flow to organs and limbs. This blockage can cause serious organ damage and without proper treatment may even result in death. Vasculitis is difficult to diagnose and is often misdiagnosed due to its rarity and scant research, delaying treatment and proper disease management. Oftentimes, it is the resulting damage that finally leads doctors to a proper diagnosis.
