Last updated March 1, 2021
Every day is an opportunity for lymphedema advocacy and awareness, but there’s one day that is especially our own: March 6th, also known as World Lymphedema Day.
The ongoing pandemic has made it challenging to meet and celebrate in person, however the lymphedema community has adapted by providing a calendar bursting with virtual meet-ups and seminars.
This year, celebrate while you elevate all month long with events and activities you can attend from the comfort of your own home. Bookmark this post for easy reference throughout the month of March, that way you won’t miss out on any of the lymphatic goings-on!
See events happening on:
March 1 — 6
Lymphoedema Awareness Week (British Lymphology Society)
Registration Required: No
Ticket Price: Free
For the past couple of years, the British Lymphology Society (BLS) has organized activities for folks around the world to participate in for lymphedema awareness. (One of my favorites is their “Sock it to Lymphoedema!” campaign, where you’re encouraged to wear mismatched socks.)
“This year, we know that everyone is fatigued by the pandemic and lockdown so we’ve made it easier for you to get involved,” explains the BLS website.
The theme for this year’s Lymphoedema Awareness Week is the importance of movement and activity for lymphedema, which aligns with their EveryBodyCan campaign.
The organization put together a list of activities that can be done from home, from shareable resources to social media initiatives.
“Let’s use [Lymphoedema Awareness Week] as a springboard for recovery and feeling more positive about the future, and support people with lymphoedema to manage their condition in these difficult times.”
Lymphoedema Awareness Week Newsletter (Lymph-What-Oedema and PhysioPod UK)
Registration Required: Yes (newsletter sign-up)
Ticket Price: Free
Lymph-What-Oedema and PhysioPod UK are collaborating to provide a special newsletter series throughout Lymphoedema Awareness Week. Each day, a new email will arrive in your inbox with articles and videos about lymphedema, along with messages of support and more.
If you’re interested in receiving the newsletter, you can sign up here.
March 6
World Lymphedema Day with Friends (Lymphedema Podcast)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free (no raffle entries); $5+ (for raffle entries)
Betty Westbrook of the Lymphedema Podcast is organizing a virtual live event for the lymphedema community.
Primary and secondary lymphedema patients from around the world will be speaking on everything from pediatric lymphedema, the importance of community and wellness, lymphedema management tools, and overcoming fear.
It will be one big global hang-out: participants can chat and engage with the speakers in real-time through live chat.
“I want you to have the experience of going to a conference and meeting new people,” writes Westbrook in an Instagram post announcing the event.
There will also be raffles every twenty minutes (you must be “present” to win), with prizes ranging from compression garments and books to other fun swag — including a gift card to the Lymphie Life online store! The event culminates in the grand prize: a cash prize from ticket sales.
Anyone who purchases a ticket is automatically entered to win the grand prize, and they don’t need to be present to win. “I hope this helps a lymphie in need who has been negatively impacted by COVID-19,” says Westbrook.
Registration is required to join; the free ticket allows you to replay the live stream for a full year, so you can watch — and rewatch — whenever is convenient for you.
Find out more and buy tickets here.
World Lymphedema Day Zoom Celebration (British Columbia Lymphedema Association)
Registration Required: No
Ticket Price: Free
The British Columbia Lymphedema Association (BCLA) is hosting a World Lymphedema Day celebration on Zoom. The virtual event is open to all living and working with lymphedema — tune in at 3:00 PM PST to join.
In lieu of their regular conference, the BCLA is also launching a series of educational webinars; the pre-recorded videos will be available on their website throughout the month of March, starting on World Lymphedema Day.
A Virtual Global Celebration (Lymphatic Education & Research Network)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: $50 (single ticket); $400 (virtual table for ten)
The Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN) is presenting a virtual global celebration in honor of World Lymphedema Day. The event will be broadcast at four different times to accommodate attendees from around the world.
Hosted by LE&RN spokesperson and lymphedema patient Kathy Bates, the online event will feature the performance of a one-act play “Let’s Talk Lymphedema” by Brian Daniels, based on the book of the same name by Professor Peter Mortimer and Gemma Levine.
“Having spent a good deal of my life as a theatrical producer, I was inspired by how the arts offer a rich medium where we are asked to walk in the shoes of others,” said LE&RN President & CEO William Repicci in a press release. “In his new play, Brian Daniels flings open the door of the life-changing disease of lymphedema that society has conspired to ignore.”
Register and purchase tickets here.
Webinar: Lymphoedema Self-Management and Assessment (Australasian Lymphology Association)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free to members of the Australasian Lymphology Association
In honor of World Lymphedema Day, the Australasian Lymphology Association is hosting a free educational webinar for its members.
Drs. Brenda Svennson and Sally Keir will be presenting on self-assessment screens, lymphedema self-management, and research findings and their implications. A recording of the webinar will be sent to all registered attendees afterwards, so even if you’re unable to participate, you will still need to register in order to receive the recording.
Get more information and register here.
Lymphedema Symposium (Lymphedema Association of Manitoba)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free
The Lymphedema Association of Manitoba is hosting a special lymphedema symposium over Zoom. The event is at 1:00 PM CST, and is open to healthcare professionals and the general public.
To receive the Zoom link, email lymphmanitoba@gmail.com or register here; they also encourage attendees to submit questions ahead of time via email.
World Lymphoedema Day LYMPHANET Webinar (Dr. Corrado Campisi)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free
Plastic surgeon Corrado Campisi has organized an exciting virtual World Lymphedema Day forum. The program includes sessions on all things lymphedema, from its diagnosis and treatment to surgeries and daily management. There will also be patient testimonials and an audience question-and-answer session with experienced surgeons.
The event is open to patients and medical professionals alike; although it will primarily be in Italian, there will be English translation available.
Learn more about the event and register here.
March 10
Lymphedema Awareness at Dog Culture (Greenville, SC)
Registration Required: No
Ticket Price: Free
Lymphedema awareness has gone to the dogs! A doggie day care center in Greenville, South Carolina, is doing their part for lymphies, specifically lymphie kids.
The folks at Dog Culture are inviting members of their local community to stop by on Wednesday, March 10, to grab a teal awareness ribbon. If you snap a pic wearing the ribbon and post it to social media that same day (while tagging @dogculturegvl and #lymphedemaawareness), you’ll get a free day of doggie daycare for your pup at Dog Culture.
To top it all off, all proceeds from March 10 will go to Brylan’s Feat Foundation, an organization that helps children with lymphedema. Now that’s something to wag your tail about!
All Month Long
Lymphedema Awareness Month Webinars (National Lymphedema Network)
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free
The National Lymphedema Network (NLN) has planned an extensive calendar of educational webinars, available to the patient community and whomever else wishes to learn more about lymphedema and its treatment.
Some topics include: demonstrations of manual lymphatic drainage, self-bandaging, and diaphragmatic breathing; choosing lymphedema therapists and surgeons; compression garments; compression pumps; healthy lifestyle habits, and more. (See the full schedule of webinars here.)
The webinars will be held every day throughout the month of March, beginning at 5:00 PM EST. Each webinar will feature a combination of educational content, sponsored content, and time spent on updates on other lymphedema-related topics, services, and organizations.
Visit the NLN’s website to learn more and register for the webinars.
World Lymphedema Day Virtual Celebration (Amanda Sobey)
Registration Required: No
Ticket Price: Free; must RSVP on Facebook to register for giveaways
Lymphedema patient and personal trainer Amanda Sobey has organized a calendar of events through the month of March, including conversations with fellow lymphedema patients, demonstrations of different compression garments and treatment tools, and inspiring testimonials from the community — and it’s all happening live on social media!
“I am BEYOND EXCITED to lift up these voices and share stories from around the World!” Sobey writes on Instagram. “Each and everyone has a story to share.”
Throughout the month, Sobey will also be giving away over $2,000 in products and supplies to support lymphedema patients, including compression garments, bandages, skincare products, supplements, and even personal one-on-one training sessions with Sobey herself.
To enter the giveaways, you must RSVP as “Going” on the Facebook event pages (for most of the prizes, winners must be a resident of the United States or Canada).
It’s all happening on Sobey’s Facebook and Instagram pages, so be sure to tune in.
Anna Maisetti’s Instagram Takeover
Registration Required: No
Ticket Price: Free
If you’re on Instagram, you probably know or have seen @stile_compresso, real name Anna Maisetti. The Italian lymphie’s Instagram is full of photos of her life with lymphedema, along with colorful fashion and delicious food.
Throughout the month of March, Maisetti is spotlighting members of the global lymphedema community through her Instagram stories: “I would like every day to leave room [on my Instagram] for a patient to tell about themselves or send messages of encouragement to others,” she explains.
Follow all month long on Maisetti’s Instagram.
Lymphie Strong March Calendar
Registration Required: Yes
Ticket Price: Free
Veronica Seneriz of Lymphie Strong has developed a dynamic calendar of events for the month of March, including the 3rd Annual Lymphie Strong Virtual Half Marathon/10K/5K, a fundraiser to support Texas lymphies affected by Winter Storm Uri (apply for support here), educational webinars featuring medical professionals, and more.
“This year is a little bit different for me since I’m still in recovery from COVID-19,” Seneriz shares. “But we won’t let that stop us!”
See the full listing as well as more information on the Lymphie Strong website.
21 Day Ninja Wellness Program (Ninjas Fighting Lymphedema Foundation)
Registration Required: TBD
Ticket Price: TBD
Amy Rivera is a force within the lymphedema community. A lymphedema patient with an inspiring story, she’s parlayed her fire for awareness into her nonprofit organization Ninjas Fighting Lymphedema. Through the foundation, Rivera helps provide much-needed education and support to people living with lymphedema and their families.
“Unfortunately, Covid has made things harder for our community to stay connected and included,” writes Rivera in an Instagram post announcing the program.
“Relationships are more important now than ever before and that’s why we have a surprise for you!”
The official announcement is happening on March 6, 2021, at 9:00 AM CST, but Rivera shares that the the month of March will be “packed with Ninja spotlights, product giveaways, company features, and most importantly… the 21 DAY NINJA WELLNESS PROGRAM LAUNCH!”
There will be a Zoom link on the Ninjas Fighting Lymphedema Instagram page, so be sure to check it on the date of the announcement.
Did I miss an event?
Is there an event or webinar I may have missed, or a detail that needs correction? Let me know, and I’ll update the listing. Thanks!
How will you be spreading awareness and elevating lymphedema throughout the month of March?
Header photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels.
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