Join us to raise awareness on 20 October 2023
Download our International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day social media kit (ZIP file) For the past six years, October 20 means so much more to those familiar with mast cell diseases – specifically Mastocytosis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia (HaT).
The International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of the need for improved diagnosis and disease management, enhanced access to appropriate care, established WHO criteria for MCAS, increased support and information, and bring awareness of these disorders that can range from benign to life-threatening. We hope that this day will lift the hopes of mast cell patients.
2023 Awareness Day Social Media Kit
This year we have developed an International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day social media kit that you can use to help raise awareness about mast cell diseases during the upcoming international Mast Cell and Mastocytosis Awareness Day taking place on October 20, 2023.
On 20 October – International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day – we aim to raise awareness about the need for improved diagnosis and disease management, enhanced access to appropriate care, established WHO criteria for MCAS, increased support and information, and bring awareness of these disorders that can range from benign to life-altering.
We hope that this day will uplift mast cell patients.
This year’s campaign tagline is “Support your loved one with Mastocytosis, MCAS or HαT”.
This year, we want to help the families and friends of people with mast cell diseases – specifically Mastocytosis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia (HaT) – better support their family member or friend.
Supporting your loved one living with a mast cell disease is essential because it not only provides comfort and encouragement but also helps enhance their quality of life.
Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of those with these conditions by showing understanding, compassion, and solidarity.
Additionally, we have provided education images with messaging about:
- What are mast cells?
- About Mastocytosis
- About MCAS
- About HaT
- Mast Cell Disease Symptoms
We have developed several tiles with some ways for family and friends to support a loved one – but this is not an exhaustive list, and we invite you to make your own. In addition, we have developed frames (blank, transparent images) for you to share with your patients, caregivers, families and friends so they can make their own. Here are some ideas for how you can use these tools:
- Add your mast cell disease organisation’s logo to the information slides in the white block at the bottom middle of the image
- Make your own – use the blank, transparent frames to add your own messages and photos to the image
- Share these through your social media channels (email lists, Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, etc.) Consider sending out one per day during the time leading up to October 20.
- Or share them from the International Awareness Day pages to your Group and personal pages – on Facebook – follow us @mmcdawarenessday and on Instagram – follow us @mastcellawarenessday
- Encourage patients and caregivers in your network to share this on their social media channels.
- Contact any doctors or nurses you know who are working with mast cell diseases and ask them to promote these materials to their network (some hospitals and clinics might be willing to send these out, but will need advance notice)
- Reach out to local news stations—television, radio, newspaper, etc.—and provide the materials to them. They may be willing to share the materials and might even want to report on Awareness Day.
Share your recognition and awareness-raising activities on social media with the below hashtags and be sure to tag and follow us on Facebook and Instagram – be sure to use the following hashtags in your post to help us find them:
#MCDday #MCAS #mastocytosis #MCAD #HaT #MCDSupport #KnowYourMastCells
Download the 2023 Awareness Day social media kit – we have developed a set that works for both Facebook and Instagram – both are located within
n this .zip file.
Download one of our blank frames and add your message to post and share – simply right click and save as.
Using Canva or a photo editing tool on your phone, can you insert a photo or image onto the image above.
Share your recognition and awareness-raising activities on social media with the below hashtags and be sure to tag and follow us on Facebook and Instagram – be sure to use the following hashtags in your post to help us find them:
#MCDday #MCAS #mastocytosis #MCAD #HaT #MCDSupport #KnowYourMastCells
You may have other ideas and suggestions. If so, please pass those ideas along to our network of advocacy groups.
Download the Awareness Day logo in 16 languages
Our Awareness Day logo was intentionally crafted to include both “mastocytosis” and “mast cell diseases” in the same size font, for equal representation. The mast cell icon depicted has “receptors” and seems to be spilling its contents during degranulation. The color purple was chosen to represent the color of the stain that researchers use in their slides.
The Awareness Day logo is currently available in the following languages: Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian. Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene and Spanish.
Download the Awareness Day logo.
Share your photos with the International Community
Help us increase awareness of International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day and our global mast cell diseases community. Share your photos with us for our Awareness Day Photo Gallery and our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Email us your Awareness Day photos (make sure you seek permission from the people in the photos to share the photos with us).
The Awareness Day Ribbon
The Awareness Day ribbon has dots to represent the spots/hives/rashes that many mast cell patients deal with. The purple color represents the color stain that researchers use to identify mast cells.
Global Support
The Awareness Day Committee is expanding the Global Support page on our website to include support groups from all over the world. To have your support group considered, please send us the details of your group via our contact page. Include the group name, a short description of your purpose, website and social media links and a contact name and email address. Submit your support group for consideration.