Thank you for celebrating World Sjögren's Day 2022!
On July 23rd, people from around the world joined together in recognizing World Sjögren's Day. The Sjögren's Foundation was pleased to see more than 3,000 downloads of the Sjögren's fact sheet, and the thousands of individuals reached via social media to share their Sjögren's journey and support other patients.
The Foundation was also grateful for all the generous donations we received in recognition of World Sjögren's Day. New this year, the Foundation was extremely excited to have Horizon Therapeutics pledge a dollar-for-dollar match this year up to $30,000. Because of Horizon’s amazing match, the Foundation saw the most funds ever raised on World Sjögren's Day with a total raised of nearly $60,000! We sincerely thank Horizon for helping make this the best World Sjögren's Day ever.
Thank you for all you do to increase awareness about Sjögren's. Together we will make a difference!
What is World Sjögren's Day?
World Sjögren's Day is meant to put a face on the millions of people who live with this disease or suffer from symptoms and have yet to be diagnosed. It gives everyone touched by Sjögren's a vehicle to reach out and educate those close to them - family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. - about the disease. It is the ideal opportunity for you to have your voice heard and to spread awareness about this life-altering disease.
Leading up to World Sjögren's Day and especially on the day itself, talk about Sjögren’s with the people in your life. Share your story and educate others! By doing so, you are helping spread the message that Sjögren's is a serious disease that deserves to be recognized. You may also be helping someone who is looking for answers to their own questions.
History of World Sjögren's Day
World Sjögren's Day was created by the Sjögren's Foundation to raise much needed awareness for Sjögren's. It is marked every year on July 23rd, the birthday of Dr. Henrik Sjögren, the Swedish ophthalmologist who discovered Sjögren's. The Foundation is joined by organizations around the world to draw attention to Sjögren's and the disease's impact on millions of patients.
Dr. Henrik Sjögren was a Swedish ophthalmologist who first identified the disease in 1933. Today, his birthday is celebrated as World Sjögren's Day to help raise awareness for this disease.
In 1929 Dr. Sjögren met a patient who complained of dry eye, dry mouth and joint pain. While each of these symptoms were already well known, it was the combination of them that Dr. Sjögren noticed and decided to investigate.
Dr. Sjögren could have been just an ophthalmologist who happened to meet a patient with dry eye, but his open mind led him to the discovery of an unknown clinical entity. His work not only paved the way for current researchers in the field but has also helped all patients living with this complex disease.
You can donate in honor of Dr. Sjögren, yourself, a loved one, or in honor of the nearly 4 million Americans who fight this disease each day.