Newswise — American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Salutes Autoimmune Hero Kellie Martin in recognition for her…

 devotion and commitment to AARDA by serving nearly two decades as its celebrity spokesperson, helping bring national attention to autoimmune disease and the realities autoimmune disease patients and their families face every day.

 participation in hundreds of media interviews, telling her family’s personal experience with autoimmune disease – the untimely death of her 19 year-old sister Heather from an undiagnosed case of lupus – raising awareness of autoimmune disease and the 50 million Americans afflicted with them.

 generous donations of time and talent over the years, whether speaking at public forums, advocating on behalf of patients on Capitol Hill, headlining autoimmune walks and special events, filming public service campaigns and video messages, and enlisting her friends and family to help support the cause.

 American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Salutes Autoimmune Heroes Haley and Barbara Ramm in recognition for their…

 immediate willingness to not only share Barbara’s personal autoimmune disease story with relapsing polychondritis, but by rolling up their sleeves to find out how they could help AARDA achieve its mission and help other autoimmune patients.

 spearheading in a few short months the tremendously successful first-ever Los Angeles Autoimmune Walk and raising more than $100,000 dollars for research and awareness in its inaugural year.

 strong leadership abilities, from Haley’s enlisting the cast of ABC Family’s Chasing Life to have a pillow fight in pajamas on camera to raise awareness of the link between fatigue and autoimmune disease and sharing it via numerous social media channels to Barbara’s pulling together a diverse team of people to bring the Los Angeles Walk to fruition.

About American Autoimmune Related Diseases AssociationCelebrating its 25th anniversary, American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is the nation's only non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity as a category of disease and a major women's health issue, and promoting a collaborative research effort in order to find better treatments and a cure for all autoimmune diseases. For more information, please visit www.aarda.org.

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