For one hour on Thursday morning the northwest corner of No. 3 and Lansdowne roads will be a sea of purple. Purple hats. Purple pants. Purple t-shirts. Purple anything.
“Purple has been recognized as the official color for the promotion of invisible illness awareness,” explained Dave Thomson, community outreach coordinator for Richmond Centre for Disability, which is hosting its 2016 Invisible Illness Awareness Forum this Saturday at Richmond City Hall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday’s flash mob, from 8 - 9 a.m., will mark International Invisible Illness Awareness Day. The mob is particularly inspiring for Thomson given the difficulties many of the attendees have on a daily basis.
“Many people with disabilities find mornings to be a very stressful. It can be quite a challenge getting up and out, as many deal with poor sleep quality and high pain levels,” explained Thomson, who is asking for support from members of the public.
“Come provide some great motivation and a little bit of fun to a weekday morning. Wear your purple and come help us fill our parking lot with positive purple people!” exclaimed Thomson.
Invisible illnesses include chronic diseases that may not otherwise show on a daily basis in a public setting — such as lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Anyone is welcome at Saturday’s forum, to listen and engage with guest speakers and other participants. Those with disabilities (visible or not) and anyone who plays a supportive role for any such person — be it a spouse, family member, friend or colleague — would benefit from the dialogue, said Thomson.
Thomson said it’s important for people to understand not just the physical pain and discomfort an illness can bring, but also the emotional toll it can take. That’s why the focus of this year’s forum is on intimacy.
“The divorce rate for the chronic illness community is staggering,” said Thomson, who is rooted in the belief that openness about illnesses and disabilities is a positive step in the right direction. And the “hidden” quality of invisible illnesses makes it even more important for others to understand what one may be facing internally.
However, not everyone is comfortable speaking to others about their disability. That’s why there’s no pressure to speak at the forum and only taking in information is more than welcome, said Thomson, noting the forum is billed as a “safe, nonjudgmental and collaborative discussion session.”
The keynote speaker will be relationship therapist Dr. Faizal Sahukhan. Information about resources for any particular illness will also be available.
Questions are welcomed, admission is free, lunch is included and there will be door prizes.
