e-Newsletter - November 2016
Advancing the Prevention, Early Diagnosis, and
Treatment of Life-Threatening Blood Clots
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NBCA's Online Support Community: A Year of Inspiration
Just over a year ago, the National Blood Clot Alliance launched a unique online support community dedicated to the needs of people affected by life-threatening blood clots. This online support community, launched in collaboration with the Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial Foundation, and powered by Inspire, occurred in response to a widely recognized and growing interest in patient and caregiver support, and an opportunity for peer-to-peer sharing among the many people affected by blood clots. As the community launched, NBCA was excited to expand its services in this way, by providing a safe and supportive space where people affected by blood clots could gather, share their stories, and interact with other support group members. We were hopeful that this community would help fill the void where direct peer-to-peer support was lacking.
Today, we are delighted to share that more than 1,000 members have joined our online discussion community. These individuals have a vast array of experiences and stories to share, and the growth in this community has been very exciting to witness.
NBCA's Online Stop the Clot® Support Group and Discussion Community consists of people from around the globe -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark, and France -- and they range in age from 16 to more than 90 years old. At nearly any given time of the day or night, important and meaningful conversations are taking place about a variety of crucial topics, including personal stories, women's health issues and blood clot risks, athletes and blood clots, prevention and treatment of blood clots, as well as how to cope with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty after a blood clot diagnosis.
Time and time again, we hear that the our online support community is an
essential means of support for people navigating the often rough waters of recovery from blood clots, for themselves or for a friend or family member. The Inspire community also has served as respite for those who have lost a loved one due to a blood clot, and a place where they can share stories, memories, tears, and hope for the future that the work we do every day can help save lives by bringing awareness to the risks, signs, and symptoms of blood clots. It is our hope for the coming months and years that this community will continue to grow and become a mainstay for patients, caregivers, and friends and family members dealing with the difficult challenges they face, as well as continue to be a place of validation, encouragement and, ultimately, hope for what lies ahead.
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Bright Lights, Big City, Blood Clots
NBCA's recent involvement in
Revlon's 2016 Love is On™ Million Dollar Challenge helped our organization raise $25,000 during the course of this six-week fund raising initiative. We are tremendously grateful to everyone who contributed to this effort, particularly several members of NBCA's Board of Directors for the large role they played in contributing more than one-third of this total amount.
The funds raised from this effort, as with all of NBCA's fund raising efforts, will be invested in support of NBCA's mission to save lives through improved recognition of the public health impact associated with dangerous blood clots.
NBCA's programs and services are routinely focused on building awareness of the risk factors associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and aim to educate people about the signs and symptoms of DVT/PE that should never be ignored.
 With the newly available funds generated from the Revlon Challenge, however, NBCA decided to take a slightly different path, and invest a portion of these n
ew resources into an exciting new opportunity for the organization to get information to a large and diverse group of people via a dynamic digital billboard in New York City's iconic Times Square.
The billboard -- a 29' x 56' full HD screen -- is situated just about six stories above the northeast corner of W. 43rd Street and Broadway, and NBCA's message will be seen there throughout November, December, and January.
Our 10-second spot on this digital billboard will appear three times per hour, 20 hours per day, during this time.
More than 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, while  close to 500,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days.
We're even more excited to have our message there during the holiday season -- one of the busiest times of the year in the City -- with major events ranging from the NYC Marathon to the Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations seen round the globe.
In fact, we have some creative twists on our billboard messaging that will appear in connection with the holiday season and New Year's Eve in upcoming weeks.
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to take
advantage of  a very deep discount for this prime piece of promotional real estate.
Other organization's have claimed that exposure on this specific billboard space is responsible for up to 77 percent of their website traffic. So, we look forward to evaluating its success in
terms of potential additional traffic we will see to
our website,
www.stoptheclot.org
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As we approach the holiday season, we begin to reflect on the past year, and gratitude is something in particular that many of us ponder, despite the various challenges we face. Recovery from or loss due to a blood clot can be extremely difficult, making it a challenge to find something to be thankful for. Yet, by reflecting on gratitude, we are sometimes reminded that there are alwaus positive and powerful things to be thankful for in our lives.
To illuminate these positive messages as a potential source of inspiration for others, NBCA reached out to the members of its
Inspire Online Discussion Community, as well as its social media channels, to find out what our community is most thankful for. Take a look at what they had to say:
"This is definitely a very stormy season in my life. I am four months post-kneecap fracture and DVT. For quite some time, I was hearing from loved ones around me that I was getting better, but inside I kept thinking I do not feel better at all. Today I can say that I am so thankful for the progress I have made and for feeling better and stronger."
- Read more from D.H.
"I'm grateful to still be alive and on my recovery/adaptation path. I am extremely thankful to have stumbled upon NBCA's www.stoptheclot.org as well as the blog www.bloodclotrecovery.net since those two sources have been the greatest source of non-medical information I have found. Most of the other information that I could find on DVT, warfarin, blood thinners, etc. was focused on a very different demographic than my own which was a bit isolating. As odd as it sounds, if I wouldn't have had the two blood clots, I doubt I would be pursuing the education and professional opportunities that I am currently. So, in a bizarre way, I'm grateful that the clots provided an opportunity for me to shift gears."
On behalf of NBCA's Board of Directors, our Medical & Scientific Advisory Board members, and our staff, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and we thank
you
for all that you do to support our mission. You are what we are most thankful for this season.
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Community Connection
Revlon Love is On
™ Million Dollar Challenge Final Report
In the final minutes of the
Revlon Love Is On™ Million Dollar Challenge
on Wednesday, October 26, NBCA's fund raising team met its $25,000 goal. Team member and Board President Sara Wassenaar took first place, raising $5,000. NBCA came in 26th
place out of more than 160 organizations. We're extremely proud of our team and grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this six-week fund raising effort.
Mark Your Calendars: #GivingTuesday is November 29
NBCA is excited to announce its participation in the #GivingTuesday movement on November 29, 2016. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities, and organizations to encourage philanthropy and celebrate generosity worldwide. The goal of #GivingTuesday is to encourage people to come together to help others and celebrate the great human spirit of generosity through charitable contributions and volunteerism. To support NBCA on #GivingTuesday, share our social media posts using #GivingTuesday and #stoptheclot or
make a donation.
Register Early for The Anticoagulation Forum's Conference on Antithrombotic Therapy, April 20-22, 2017
The Anticoagulation Forum's 14th biennial conference on antithrombotic therapy is taking place April 20-22, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. This three-day symposium will bring together medical professionals in fields ranging from cardiology and hematology to pharmacy and family medicine for discussions about current research and evidence-based practices in the field of antithrombotic therapy. The deadline for early bird registration is December 15, 2016.
For more information and to register, please visit
here
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Volunteer Spotlight: Roland Varga
Roland Varga became involved with NBCA more than a decade ago, as the self-proclaimed Clot Buster, a title that is today well recognized throughout our community. Roland's wife, Liz, was one of the founders of NBCA and an early member of our Board. Since that time, Roland has been an inspiration to the many athletes who are affected by blood clots each year. He's participated in more than 70 triathlons, four marathons, and 15 half marathons, sporting his signature polka dot shirts to raise awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. He also has his own blog,
The Clot Buster, which features the stories of blood clot survivors. Check out the polka dot running shirts and performance hats available for purchase on Roland's blog. NBCA appreciates all of Roland's hard work in raising awareness, fundraising, and bringing blood clot survivors together.
Event Recap: The Second Annual Jimmy's Jam in Marshfield, MA
The 2
nd
Annual Jimmy's Jam to Stop the Clot® took place on Saturday, November 5, at The Jetty in Marshfield, MA. Hundreds of supporters gathered for a night of live music and fun raffles, to honor and celebrate the life of Jimmy
Sperguiro
,
and to raise awareness about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of blood clots. Jimmy's Jam has raised more than $6,500, and the donations are still pouring in. NBCA would like to thank Jeanine Nastar, The Nastar and
Sperguiro
family, The Jetty, and the awesome performers, volunteers, and sponsors who made this event such a resounding success. We look forward to the 3
rd
Annual Jam!
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Get Engaged in Your Community Today
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ICYMI: All the News That's Fit to Link
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NBCA Corporate Roundtable
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