The Right Doctor Changes Everything

“I was in the worst pain of my life. I was in tears. He dismissed me and acted like I was faking it.” When Stephanie started experiencing mysterious symptoms, some doctors called her psychosomatic. Until she found The One - the doctor who took her seriously.

Poems from Our Community

Recently, twenty-five of our community members with vasculitis gathered with poet Jim Elsaesser over Zoom for a Healing Poetry Workshop. They spent nearly two hours talking, exploring, writing, and sharing in community. Several of the participants have offered to share their poems. May their poems touch your spirit and remind you: you're not alone.

“Will I Ever Feel Normal Again?” How Jenna Lea Faced High School and Vasculitis

“Will I ever feel normal, again?” When Jenna was diagnosed with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) vasculitis, she was still in high school. As anyone who’s ever been in high school knows, the pressure to fit in is high. In this story, Jenna shares her pain and her lessons from trying to live a typical teenage life while facing a rare disease.

Championing Vasculitis Victories: Art Diaz’s Choice to Advocate

Art Diaz, who’s living with vasculitis, doesn’t want you to feel sorry for him. But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to talk about what it means to live with a rare autoimmune disease. In fact, Art has been committed to raising awareness so that people living with vasculitis are seen as more than just a statistic.

VF Announces 2023 V-RED Winners

It’s been a year of surprises for our Vasculitis Recognizing Excellence in Diagnosis (V-RED) award program. We have two winners who tied for first place, two winners who received honorable mentions, and this is the first year we’ve had a winner from Germany and Saskatoon, Canada. This is the 10th year that the VF has […]

“Fatherhood is My Driving Force.” Greg Patterson’s Vasculitis Story

When Greg’s two daughters were just old enough to run, they started doing races together. First one-milers, then two. It became a life-long shared adventure – until he got vasculitis. Today, it’s his daughters who are his fuel, helping him find joy and connection right here, on the race course and off.

She Came. She Saw. She Loved. Tatum Hopper’s Family Celebrates Her Life

Tatum Hopper was “the kind of sunshine that is good for the soul.” She was a new mom to her beloved Penny and a human who believed deeply in kindness. After her passing from vasculitis, Tatum’s husband and parents shared her story with us–their lessons, their love, and her light.

Loss & Love: Navigating Motherhood with Vasculitis

When Annaruth Diller, a mom of three, was diagnosed with vasculitis in her early thirties, it forced her to reimagine what motherhood could look like for her. In this story, Annaruth shares the loss, anger, and even the blessings she and her children have faced on their shared vasculitis journey. In spite of it all, they are finding ways to bloom together.