Pulmonary Hypertension Unit

Pulmonary Hypertension Association Ireland

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World PH Day 5th May 2020

This year we will be celebrating World PH Day on the 5th May in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and as with all our normal lives this will curtail our ability to organise events to mark this important day. PHA Ireland has concentrated its major awareness and funding efforts to late summer, early Autumn in recent years and this remains our plan for 2020 should circumstances allow with the sincere hope that some form of normality may have returned by then. However while this pandemic causes such hardship and loss here and across the world it is all the more important to try and continue to raise awareness of the severe hardships that Pulmonary Hypertension causes to sufferers of the disease and their family and carers.

If you want to be part of the awareness campaign in the days around World PH awareness day the best vehicle in these lockdown days is by means of social media. Here are some suggestions should you wish to participate:

As previously, the blue lips theme is being used with the hashtag #bluelips and here are some ways that you can use this symbol

  • A blue lips template courtesy of our colleagues in PHA Europe is attached at this link as a separate document. The image can be cut out and used as a prop for a selfie(s) for your social media accounts
  • If you have a Snapchat account, then open the app and find the filter “Glitter Lips” -> there you can choose the blue lip colour
  • Or of course if you happen to have blue lipstick apply that

Don’t forget to use the hashtags #bluelips #WorldPHDay #pulmonaryhypertension when posting to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc.

Many people will want to put their own personal message /take on World PH Day but if you want some prepared text here is some suggested wording:

‘Today, on World PH Day, I am taking part in the #bluelips campaign to raise awareness of the rare disease pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is still an incurable disease that can affect anyone at any age. With the blue lips I want to set an example and support those affected.’

 More details on how to use Snapchat filters for blue lips :

  1. Open snapchat and tap on your face, now you can see the filters you can use.
  2. Click on the magic wand or sparkling faces and look for the filter “Glitter Lips” and click on it.
  3. Find the blue lipstick and take a picture.

 Frame your Facebook profile picture with either World PH day and/or bluelips frames:

  1. Hovering over your profile picture on Facebook gives the option ‘update’. Click on this and when offered the choice choose the option’add frame’
  2. Search for frame(s) under ‘World Pulmonary Hypertension Day’ or similar.
  3. Click on “Use as profile picture”

Whatever you choose to do to mark World Pulmonary Hypertension Day 5th May, we just want to acknowledge all our members, their families and friends and sufferers worldwide during these worrying times. The burden of PH is so severe and to have to cope with the disease while safeguarding from a dangerous virus pandemic seems truly unjust. Perhaps one side effect of these times is that more people may be more aware of the challenges of being breathless and therefore more open to our campaign of awareness in the times to come.

Please stay safe everybody.

If you have any ideas as to how you would like to contribute to our awareness campaign or fundraise on behalf of our Association, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regina Prenderville

pha@mater.ie

Ph: 087 637 6563