Skip to main content
Skip navigation

Raise Awareness

PH Awareness Month

A Month Dedicated to PH Awareness

Celebrated annually throughout the month of November, PH Awareness Month is an international event that raises awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH). People living with PH worldwide, along with their loved ones and care providers, unite to raise awareness of the condition and the need for earlier diagnosis, more effective and accessible treatments, and—ultimately—a cure.

Back to Raise Awareness

#LifeInPurple

Part of having an "invisible chronic illness" like pulmonary hypertension is that it can be difficult for people who aren't directly affected by PH to understand what it means to live with the illness. That is why PHA Canada created the #LifeInPurple campaign.

During PH Awareness Month, we help people across the country to better understand the daily impacts of PH on patients and caregivers through a social media campaign highlighting results from PHA Canada's 2014 Burden of Illness Survey. In other words, the campaign shows us what "Life in Purple" looks like everyday for those affected by PH.

Get Involved

It’s easy for everyone to get involved in awareness-raising activities (big or small): at work or school, among family and friends, in your neighbourhood, on your social media channels, and more. We have tools to help you help us spread PH awareness across Canada! Want some ideas?

Show Your #LifeInPurple

  • Wear purple in honour of PH Awareness Month, and share photos online with the hashtag #LifeInPurple.
  • Create a personal page and ask friends to support you during the month of November.
  • Tell your story to people around you: how has pulmonary hypertension turned your Life in Purple?
  • Set up an awareness table at work, school, or in a local community space to raise awareness of the illness - we can send you materials!
  • Share videos from our YouTube channel to help people understand what PH is and how it impacts the up to 10,000 Canadians living with it today. 

Awareness Month Proclaimation

Did you know that you can very easily send an email to your local government to request that they officially proclaim the month of November PH Awareness Month? 

Leading up to PH Awareness Month in 2015, PH advocate Ruth Dolan decided to see if she could get cities in Ontario to proclaim November PH Awareness Month. By the end of her personal campaign, she had successfully received proclamations from 21 cities across the province!

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN DO THE SAME:
  1. Get in contact with your local municipal office: you can either go in person or contact them via email. 
  2. Submit a formal request to have the month of November officially declared PH Awareness Month: you can either write your own request or use this template. Don't forget to edit it to include your personal details.
  3. Include something about your personal relationship to PH: Why is PH important to you? How would a proclamation make a difference to the PH community?

Join Us on Social Media

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for news, event updates, and to help spread awarenss online. Don't forget to tag us @PHACanada with the hashtag #LifeInPurple! Whether you're wearing purple in honour PH or hosting an awareness table, we want to see what #LifeInPurple means to you.