School Worker Raising Awareness Of Liver Disease
School Worker Raising Awareness Of Liver Disease
Steve Dawson is spreading the word. He is promoting a fundraising walk to be held September 10 that will draw attention to liver diseases that affect more than 25 million men, women, and children nationwide, one in ten Americans, and help dispel the stigma of alcoholism or drug use that often accompanies diagnosis.
He has a personal reason: A liver transplant saved his life on May 31.
Mr Dawson, 48, works in the information technology department of the Newtown school system. A disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis, one of the more than 100 forms of liver disease, caused his liver to fail.
âI am not a drinker,â he said. âBut the first thing people think is that you booze it up on weekends, and thatâs not very accurate.â
He is hoping that the Connecticut Chapter of the American Liver Foundationâs Football Walk for Liver Wellness will help to educate the public as well as raise funds for research, treatments, and cures.
The walk will take place from 9 am to noon, on Sunday, September 10, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, home of the UConn Huskies. Families, school groups, clubs, and work groups from all over Connecticut are forming teams for the event, which is the American Liver Foundationâs second annual football-themed walk. Volunteers can also serve as ârefereesâ or pledge financial support. Last year, more than 850 people from across Connecticut participated in the walk, raising almost $90,000. People can register to walk or volunteer by visiting footballwalk.org or by calling 203-234-2022.
In keeping with the football theme, Mr Dawson plans to distribute football-shaped piggy banks to Newtown teachers, who he hopes will deposit their loose pocket change. Heâs also spoken to a science class about liver disease, and will volunteer to talk to other student groups.
The American Liver Foundation is the nationâs leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF, which has 25 chapters nationwide, provides research, education, and advocacy for those affected by hepatitis and other liver-related diseases. The toll-free HelpLine is 800-GO-LIVER, and the web address is CTALF.org.