In medicine there is a saying: When you hear hoof beats, look for horses, not zebras. Simply put: Most ailments are common and rare ailments are rare.
Physicians are taught to look for the common rather than the uncommon. Though this advice may seem innocent and practical for the physician, it falls woefully short for the lone zebras of the world!
ARD sufferers (zebras) are often ignored by physicians, misdiagnosed, or simply chalked up as “depressed” individuals. The ARD awareness pin, designed by Karen Steward, is a tangible tribute to the person who suffers from adhesion related disorder. The solid black portion of the pin is not only representative of this medically hidden (and often ignored) disorder, but is also representative of the darkness that often surrounds the life of an adhesion sufferer. The striped portion of the pin boldly proclaims to the world that there are indeed zebras in existence!
ARD awareness and change will only come about when the zebras of the world come out from among the horses and make their suffering and hardship known! If you or someone you know suffers from adhesion related disorder, I encourage you to place an order for your pin(s) and begin your own grass-root effort to promote ARD awareness. May your ARD awareness pin help bring this long ignored illness out from the shadows of darkness and forever into the light.