Why is fundraising so important? Because mastocytosis and other mast cell-related diseases, like idiopathic anaphylaxis, are rare diseases. There’s not a large profit-margin for pharmaceutical companies in researching new medications for us. There’s not a significant public outcry for the government to fund research into these diseases.
If we are to find answers — including a better understanding of these diseases and better ways to treat or even cure them — we need to be able to provide funding to researchers interested in mast cell-related diseases. We also need money to be able to do education and outreach.
We know that understanding and finding improved treatments for mast cell-related disorders would benefit many more people than just those of us who have — or who love someone who has — these diseases. Unlocking the mysteries of mast cells will benefit millions of other people who are suffering from more common disorders like asthma, allergies, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and more. But nobody will know this unless we continue our work of increasing education and awareness. And it takes money to fuel research, education, and outreach.
What we are trying to do through our fundraisers is to provide relatively painless ways for average people to make regular contributions to our work. We know that most of us are not in a position to make substantial donations, but if we do things like purchasing magazine subscriptions or holiday cards or if we use TMS shopping portals, then each of us, no matter how modest our means, can make an important contribution to the work of The Mastocytosis Society.
Click on any of the links at the top of this page to go to pages dedicated to each of our fundraising initiatives. And thank you in advance for your help and support of our work. Together, we can make miracles.