Platelet Disorder 5K Walk/Run In Memory of Erik Anderson

The Central New Jersey Support Group of Platelet Disorder Support Association is holding our annual 5K walk/run in memory of Erik Anderson on Saturday June 23 to help raise money for PDSA (Platelet Disorder Support Association). Please consider joining us or donating to our cause. One hundred percent of the proceeds will support PDSA in the efforts of life-saving research, education, and advocacy initiatives to help bring an end to ITP. 

Our Pump It Up For Platelets! event will, with help from the Platelet Disorder Support Association  raise awareness for this poorly understood and under-recognized bleeding disorder and will support programs and research into better diagnosis and treatment of ITP.

Once again we are honoring the memory of Erik Anderson, 18, of Bridgewater, New Jersey, who passed away on May 16, 2011 due to complications of a bone marrow transplant. Erik had rare immune disorders, including ITP. Erik was an active PDSA member. He also helped with the New Jersey PDSA local support group for people with platelet conditions.

ITP, immune thrombocytopenia (also known as immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) is an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, the body mounts an immune attack toward one or more seemingly normal organ systems. In ITP, platelets are the target. They are marked as foreign by the immune system and eliminated in the spleen and the liver, and by other means. In addition to increased platelet destruction, some people with ITP also have impaired platelet production. For more information, visit www.pdsa.org.

Just imagine if your phone rang at three o’clock in the morning, waking you out of a deep sleep. The doctor tells you to come straight to the emergency room – not to brush your teeth, take a shower, and to be very careful not to bump yourself. “Couldn't it wait until the morning?" you ask. The doctor says..."No, you could bleed to death."

Although ITP affects almost 10 times as many people as hemophilia, most people know nothing about it. This lack of public awareness leaves many ITP patients feeling isolated and alone, and is the main reason why there is so little support for research on ITP and the lack of advancement in treatment. ITP is a growing but little understood health problem that most people (including some medical professionals) have never heard of. It affects individuals of all ages, sexes, and ethnic origins.

Come join us to walk/run or simply show some support of those with this rare blood disorder. 

While there is no cure for ITP, more is known about the disease each year and new treatments become available.  But there are still so many unanswered questions.

Here is a links to the event: Platelet Disorder Support Association Baskingridge, NJ -Erik's Walk Hosted By DonorPages

We hope you will join us in this special event!