"I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me."
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Advocate for Digestive Health
Make your voice heard!
An Advocate is someone who is passionate about making a difference for the benefit for themself and other community members.
Most people assume that advocacy means reaching out to lawmakers. However, it actually begins much closer to home. You can make a difference by starting right at the healthcare providers office. Strengthening communication between the patient and/or caregiver and the provider can help ensure that all your health care needs are met in order to receive proper care and treatment.
Key roles of an advocate
- Educate: Educating and informing lawmakers, healthcare providers, or community members about needs within the community.
- Raise awareness: This can be as simple as sharing a personal story to show the impact a disease has had on yourself, a loved one, or a community of people. It can also look like sharing content on social media about campaigns or programs.
Take Action
Connect with your US House Representative or your state Senators to educate them about gastrointestinal and motility disorders and ask them to take action on issues critical to this community, such as:
Familiarize yourself on the Legislation.
Always review the material you would like to discuss before contacting your Legislator about the issue. Be prepared that you may be the first constituent to bring a particular issue or piece of legislation to their attention. It is beneficial to familiarize yourself with the bill number and key points of the legislation. To find the number and full text for legislation go to www.congress.gov. This page also provides a brief summary of key points. Be sure to check the Cosponsor tab to ensure that your Member of Congress is not already supporting this legislation. If they are already a Cosponsor, you may contact them to thank them for support and share your personal story to validate the importance of their support.
Contact your House Member
Call
Be a voice for all those affected by FGIMDs – call your legislators and ask them to support FGIMDs. Not sure who your member of Congress is? Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and ask to be connected to your Representative’s office or use the link below
Email
Reach out through an email to your elected officials about FGIMDs. Identify and find your elected officials and their emails by visiting www.house.gov for the US House of Representatives (or www.senate.gov for the US Senate) and entering your zip code in the box at the right corner.
Tips on What to Say
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- Identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak with the healthcare staffer for your Representative. If they are unavailable, you can leave a voicemail or leave your contact information with the staff member who answered the phone.
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- Be respectful.
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- Tell them that you are a constituent.
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- Ask your member of Congress to support patients affected by a functional GI or motility disorder, or specify a bill they can support.
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- Explain why this is important to you.
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- Provide your contact information and ask to be informed about the actions your member of Congress takes in response to your request.
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- Learn more about current healthcare legislation that may affect you
Send a letter
Sending a letter may be old fashioned, but it’s a great way to share your personal story and advocate for change.
Other Ways to Take Action
Host a Fundraiser
By starting a fundraiser, you give your friends and family an easy way to support something that is important to you. Create your own fundraising webpage and send the link to your contacts, letting them know you’re raising money to fund research for functional GI and motility disorders and to support those affected by them.
This is a simple way to let your friends do something for you.
Learn more about how you can Fundraise to support research
Raise Awareness for Digestive Health
Public awareness is critical to advance research and improve care for people affected by FGIMDs. The more we spread the word and talk openly about these conditions, the greater our ability to make connections with people who can benefit from our support and raise the funds needed to provide it.
A higher profile can translate into larger federal investments in research activities and a stronger commitment from industry to develop new treatment options. By speaking out with us, you can have an impact on improving the quality of life for those suffering with digestive diseases.
