June is Arthrogryposis Awareness Month

Greetings and welcome to June, which marks Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) Awareness Month!

If you’ve been following the blog section of this website or my other blog, The Greene Affect, you’re already familiar with my personal connection to Arthrogryposis as my son was born with this condition.

Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) is a term used to describe a group of congenital conditions characterized by joint contractures in two or more areas of the body. Its name, derived from Greek, signifies the “curving of joints.” Common manifestations of joint contractures include clubbed feet, extended or flexed knees, externally rotated and/or dislocated hips, internally rotated shoulders, adducted thumbs, and fingers held in a fisted or extended position.

We want to draw attention to AMC Awareness Day, which falls on June 30th. This significant day commemorates the launch of AMCSupport.org on June 30, 2005. Ani Samargian, a mother of an individual with AMC, founded the group due to the limited information available at the time about this rare condition. Two years later, Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Support, Inc., was established as an official non-profit organization.

Although AMC Awareness Day specifically falls on June 30th, Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Support aims to raise awareness throughout the entire month of June. They will achieve this by sharing daily AMC facts, highlighting and discussing their AMC community, and encouraging everyone to wear blue on June 30th as a symbol of support.

Keep an eye out for the interesting AMC facts that will be shared in the upcoming days on AMC Support’s social media pages, such as:

Arthrogryposis occurs in 1 in 3,000 live births.
AMC is a non-progressive condition, but the contractures can reoccur even after treatment.
There is currently no cure for arthrogryposis.
There are over 400 types of arthrogryposis.

There are several ways you can help spread awareness on Arthrogryposis Awareness Day:

Post on social media (Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram) using one of our graphics.
Wear blue, take a photo, & post it on any or all social media platforms using the hashtags #BlueForAMC, #Inclusion, #Acceptance, #Advocate, #AMCawarenessDay, and/or #ArthrogryposisAwarenessDay.
Change your profile picture on Facebook & Twitter to one of our graphics at this link: Option 1: FB Frame Image or Option 2: FB Frame Image. (Upload your photo to it & save it, then upload it to your TW & FB profiles or to a photo of you in blue.)

Let’s come together as a community and raise awareness about Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita throughout the month of June. Together, we can make a difference and foster understanding and support for individuals and families affected by AMC.