October is AVM Awareness Month, and we’re dedicated to education, solidarity, and sharing. In 2014, TAAF created AVM Awareness Month to honor both the AVM and brain aneurysm communities individually, choosing to separate it from September’s Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. October was selected as the official month, and the green butterfly became the symbol for AVM Awareness, with emerald or kelly green chosen to represent hope and support.
Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are complex tangles of abnormal arteries and veins linked by direct connections called fistulas or shunts. Unlike brain aneurysms, AVMs are considered a rare disease, affecting approximately 18 out of 100,000 people in the U.S. This rarity brings unique complications that aneurysm patients often do not face, leading us to adopt the motto: "It's only RARE until it happens to YOU."
We encourage you to share our graphics, tools, and information throughout the month. Follow us on social media for ongoing resources, events, and updates. We hope you'll turn October GREEN as we stand #UnitedAndRare in raising awareness for AVMs.
Whether you're here to learn, share your story, or support others, we are united in making a difference. Our goals are to:
???? Raise Awareness – Spread the word about AVMs and their impact on lives.
???? Build Support – Strengthen our community of advocates, patients, and caregivers.
???? Share Research – Highlight novel discoveries and insights that matter to our community.
AVMs are rare, but with TAAF, we are #UnitedAndRare!