Love them, hate them, or love to hate them – celebrities are a big part of our culture. They sell us clothes, perfumes, lifestyles – and some we even elect as presidents!
It’s always good to use that high profile and visibility for a good cause, like raising awareness for diseases. Just this year, Lady Gaga spoke out about her struggles with fibromyalgia while Selena Gomez has been open about her lupus diagnosis.
But how about rare diseases? Well legendary television actor Vicki Lawrence (The Carol Burnett Show, Mama’s Family) has been speaking openly about her chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU).
CIU is an unpredictable form of chronic hives that can appear at any time. These hives may not subside for months or even years, and can be difficult to diagnose. To learn more about this rare disease, click here.
“I always thought hives was your mother-in-law’s nervous breakdown. I thought, ‘Me, hives? I’m not stressed; I’m not nervous.’ But most people do get hives at some point in their lives, and for those of us who have chronic hives it can be ongoing,” Lawrence said.
It’s so important to see someone – anyone! – take a cause so passionately, especially a cause like a rare disease that doesn’t get a lot of attention. And it’s THAT much better when this person has a raised profile already!
Lawrence has really taken public visibility on her diagnosis by teaming up with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America for its national campaign “CIU & You” and has been a frequent guest on the show The Doctors, where she has shared her story and tips.
“I think for people that are dealing with this out there, the important thing to know is that this is real. It’s called CIU, and there are solutions out there for you.”
Thanks, Vicki, for your work on this!
