California Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson is again teaming with For Grace to author a resolution that will proclaim September 2018 as Pain Awareness Month. The resolution will also observe a day (TBA) in September as Women In Pain Awareness Day. It's a great pleasure to work with Senator Jackson and her amazing staff, most notably Bethany Renfree and Fernando Rameriz. We send out our deepest gratitude.

Your 2017 tax-deductible donation will aid For Grace's global efforts to empower women in pain, sensitize the media and public about pain care gender bias and influence policy makers to embrace chronic pain as a public health crisis. It is because of your generosity that we are able to continue our education and awareness programs to improve the lives of women who are, or will be, challenged by high-impact chronic pain. Please LINK HERE to read our holiday appeal letter and to give. THANK YOU!

Our December Story of the Month is especially poignant and heartbreaking as Althea Hudzinski's story is told by her sister, Dionetta. Althea was a young mother of three when she developed severe pelvic pain which quickly became debilitating. Frantic for help, a chain of doctors labeled her a "neurotic, anxious, pre-menopausal, drug-seeking woman." By the time Althea checked herself out of a psych ward, she was dying from the colon cancer her doctors missed. In the words of Dionetta, a "needless tragedy."

A fine post-Summit article is running on the National Pain Report featuring our keynote speaker, Dr. Bob Twillman. Executive Director of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management, Dr. Twillman shares how integrative care will be the preferred model for pain care in the future - and  how it will lessen the burden of opioids as the primary therapy. He also highlights the NIH's National Pain Strategy and the importance of pain patient's stories being heard.