Home | HER Foundation | Activism

Activism: How You Can Increase Awareness

The HER Foundation was founded by women who experienced HG and wanted to increase awareness. There are many ways you can help us continue this campaign. See our volunteer page, which lists ways you can help the HER Foundation and other women directly.

Media Outlets:

The HER Foundation volunteers are key to the success of media awareness campaigns. The HER Foundation periodically releases news related to HG to the press. These press releases are available on our site and the foundation encourages volunteers to distribute them to their local media, then make follow up calls to find out if the reporter, editor or producer at their local stations or newspapers are interested in the story. Once a reporter is willing to do a story, e-mail the foundation's media department with the contact information and the foundation will follow up with the reporter. The media department will give each volunteer specific talking points and guidelines on talking with the media. You must be a volunteer to do this, and also be willing to take the time and effort to spread the word!

E-Mail Campaigns

Recently, many of you participated in our e-mail campaign to Oprah and we know they received a few hundred stories. We encourage you to write your story to Oprah if you have not already done so, we need to keep the stories coming.

The HER Foundation is planning to do other e-mail campaigns to other prominent talk shows, so please keep our site as one you check back with often to see what is new and how you can help the Foundation create awareness with your help. The stories of HG women must be heard!

Political Action

It would be ideal if every woman with HG would write a letter each year to their congressperson or senator, we will eventually find a voice for funding. There is a politician out there who's life has been impacted by HG and that is how we will be heard. Currently, the HER Foundation does not receive any federal funding or grants for research or publications. Writing to our leaders will help us and future generations. Letters do have power. It helps to target those who are involved in health care and research funding or on related committees.

Internet Advocacy

The Internet and Web now offer the largest collection of medical information in the world. Every day, women and their families are looking for resources and support on HG. One way that you can help is to look for info in HG on other pregnancy and health Web sites and ask if they would like to link to our site for more info or even add an article on HG. There are many sites out there with outdated info on HG and some that are just misinformed. If you find any sites interested, please forward the information to kimber@helpher.org.

Updated on: Apr. 21, 2013