FM Dad of the Year Winner
Jeff Telvi receives Fibromyalgia Father of the Year 2011 Award
The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association congratulates Jeff Telvi, of Sea Cliff, New York, for being chosen as the Fibromyalgia Father of the Year 2011. His friend, Laurie Giannola, wrote the winning essay nominating Jeff in this year’s competition. The Fibromyalgia Father of the Year Committee selected the finalist essays and public voting took place online from June 12-19.
Writes Ms. Giannola, “[Jeff] is also a personal trainer. He has been raising his daughter since she was 6 years old. Jeff has always been athletic and to see him in such pain to where he is almost crippled is heart-breaking.” Jeff's symptoms are familiar to those who suffer from fibromyalgia.
To recognize the difficulties faced by fathers affected by fibromyalgia, the Fibromyalgia Father of the Year award coincided with Father's Day. The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) recognizes the difficulties of mothers and fathers who deal with this debilitating condition. “This honor, while awarded to one outstanding individual, is meant to raise awareness for each father’s difficulties with fibromyalgia. Mr. Telvi is representative of every FM father,” said Jan Chambers, president of the NFMCPA.
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. The disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S.
Fibromyalgia is a central nervous system illness and is also referred to as a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.
While 75 to 90 percent of the people who have FM are women, it occurs also in men and children of all ethnic groups. FM is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities. There is no known cure for FM – treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and improving function.
The FM Father of the Year grand prize is free tuition and housing for a 12-week treatment program from FibroInnovations ($7,000 value). FibroInnovations, a neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation system, has proven to be a very effective treatment for many with fibromyalgia. For additional information, visit www.FibroInnovations.org.
Michael Noble, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, is the second place winner. He will receive a gift basket from Topical BioMedics, Inc., the research and development leader in topical regulated natural medicines for pain relief. The gift basket is valued at $149 and is called “4 the Family.” It contains classic Topricin, Topricin Foot Therapy Cream, and Topricin Junior for kids, as well as their glucosamine supplement..
Everyone who submitted a nomination to the Fibromyalgia Father of the Year contest, as well as NFMCPA Facebook fans, also have the opportunity to enter to win a Kindle and receive free samples of Topical BioMedics’ entire family of safe, natural Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Creams (including Topricin Foot Therapy Cream, Topricin Junior for children, and their award-winning classic formula, which is now patented for the treatment of neuropathy). The contest runs through June 30th, and the winner will be selected in a random drawing. For details and to enter visit www.healthedamage.com.
