#CMTAM22: Rock and Roll into a World without CMT

It’s already September, which means we’ve finally reached CMT Awareness Month! This year, we are calling on all members of our community to become rockstars to help us spread awareness about CMT far and wide.

Make a Difference: Spread Awareness

During CMT Awareness Month (CMTAM) in September, join the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association as we highlight not only challenges that people with CMT may face, but the importance of creating awareness to support the more than 3 million people with CMT worldwide. Use the power of your voice to make a difference.

Learn more about CMT:

  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a hereditary peripheral neuropathy. It is a progressive disease of the peripheral nerves that cause loss of function and/or sensation in the areas connected to the peripheral nervous system, such as the hands, arms, legs, and feet.
  • CMT affects 1 in 2,500 people, or more than 3 million people around the globe, without regard to age, gender, or ethnicity.
  • CMT is one of the most commonly inherited neurological disorders, yet so few have even heard of it before.

#CMTAM22 Activities

Add Someone to the CMTA Hall of Fame!

Honor the CMT rockstar in your life by adding their name to the CMTA’s virtual Hall of Fame! When you donate $5, the CMTA will honor a person of your choice by adding their name on a virtual Record. Check out the Hall of Fame and honor a loved one.

CMTA Hall of Fame

CMT Music Challenge

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to try and play an instrument or engage in fine-motor activities with CMT? The CMTA community is challenging those who are not living with CMT to pick up an instrument and try to play it with thick socks, thick gloves, or oven mitts over your hands. Help us educate your friends and family by tagging them in your social media posts to try to complete the challenge next! Each week during awareness month, we will pose a new musical challenge and see how many musicians can play the song. If you share videos on social media, be sure to tag us and use the hashtags #CMTMusicChallenge and #CMTAM22.

Get Social to Encourage Action

Follow us on social media and change your Facebook profile picture or upload it on Instagram to help spread awareness about CMT during CMT Awareness Month. Challenge your friends to do the same and use the following hashtags in your social media posts: #CMTAM22, #CMTAwareness, #1in2500.

Download the CMT Awareness Month Social Media Toolkit:

Social Media Profile Picture Frames

Download one of the frames below to add the frame to your picture manually, or visit this link to have Twibbon add it for you.

Facebook Covers

Share Your Story

Share your CMT story with the world – whether that be through your social media channels, email, your blog, your local news station, or by sharing your story with the CMTA to share on our platforms. Wherever you join us on the CMT journey – if you’re a person with CMT, a friend, a family member, a caregiver, a teacher, a healthcare professional, or someone with another connection to CMT – you can help spread awareness about CMT disease.

If you would like your story to be considered for a post on the CMTA’s social media channels, emails, or website, please email your story to the CMTA awareness month team.

Other Ways to Spread Awareness

  • Host or Join a Walk 4 CMT Near You!Register and learn more.
  • Join Our In-Person Cycle Events or Start Your Own RideRegister and learn more.
  • Send CMT Info to Your Health Care Team – How much does your local doctor’s office know about CMT? You can play a vital role in CMT education! Invite your local neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, your physician, and any other medical professionals involved in your care to join the CMT Clinical Summit – a summit designed specifically to bring education about CMT to healthcare professionals. Registration opens soon.
  • Email CMT Information to Your Local ReporterDownload the ‘What is CMT?’ Infographic and share it over email to educate your local news reporters about CMT and share that this month is CMT Awareness Month. You’re just a few clicks away from making a huge difference!
  • Blue and Orange Day – Pick a day to dress in all blue and orange and share facts about CMT to raise awareness about CMT at school, work, the gym, the grocery store, etc. Invite others to join you ahead of time.
  • Create a Poster – Use your artistic skills to create a poster or flyer with CMT and ask your teacher, boss, gym, or local restaurant if you can post it on an announcement or bulletin board during the month of September.
  • Give a Short Presentation – Ask your school or job if you can give a short presentation to your peers. You can talk about your own journey with CMT and what it means to you.
  • Sidewalk Chalk – Use blue and orange chalk to draw pictures or share CMT facts to spread the word in your neighborhood.