Newswise — The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) congratulates The New Yorker magazine and its contributing writer Meghan O’Rourke for her first-person account of the daily struggle living with autoimmune disease (AD) and showcasing autoimmunity as a major U.S. health issue.
“Will I Ever Get Better? Meghan O’Rourke on the Autoimmune Epidemic” is featured in the August 26, 2013 issue of The New Yorker.
“Given the cold, hard facts we at AARDA know about the pervasiveness of autoimmune disease – 50 million Americans are afflicted, more than 100 diseases, one of the top 10 leading causes of death of women under 65 and responsible for more than $100 billion dollars in direct health care costs – Ms. O’Rourke’s personal story eloquently captures the frustration, anxiety and confusion of first getting an autoimmune diagnosis and then the realities of living on a daily basis with a chronic illness with no cure and few treatment options,” said Virginia Ladd, executive director, AARDA.
Unfortunately, according to Ladd, O’Rourke’s experience is a familiar one for many autoimmune disease patients. The article highlights one of AARDA’s main priorities which is to establish diagnostic, treatment and research autoimmune centers, like the one currently in Israel, where a single doctor would coordinate and oversee a patient’s care, similar to a cancer center....
