Saturday, September 13th marks a milestone that began with one woman’s determination to turn her pain into purpose. When Sateria Venable was diagnosed with fibroids at age 26, she embarked on a quest for information that would eventually grow into The Fibroid Foundation. 12 years later, we have reached over 180 countries and supported millions of women living with uterine fibroids.
This anniversary is different, and we need you now more than ever.
From Personal Pain to Global Purpose
Sateria Venable has been a Patient Advocate and Researcher for Uterine Fibroids since 2007. What started as her personal journey to understand her own diagnosis became a mission to ensure no woman would face fibroids alone or uninformed. After her diagnosis, she began a quest for information, leading her to found The Fibroid Foundation.
Twelve years ago, when she was suffering from debilitating pain, heavy bleeding, or fatigue from fibroids, she was often met with dismissal. “It’s normal.” “Just deal with it.” “Have you tried yoga?” Sateria knew this wasn’t good enough, and she was determined to change it.
What Twelve Years of Your Support Has Accomplished
Because of supporters like you, The Fibroid Foundation has achieved remarkable milestones:
Research & Medical Collaboration: From The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to Mayo Clinic Office of Health Disparities Research Grant to COMPARE-UF, a $20 Million, 5-year fibroids treatment research grant, Sateria has lent her expertise and activism as a subject matter expert around the issues women face with uterine fibroids.
Legislative Advocacy: For the last 12 years, the foundation has led efforts to introduce The Fibroid Bill into the US House of Representatives and the Senate. We have worked with both the executive and legislative branches in local, state and federal governments to introduce and pass fibroid legislation benefiting women around the country. We’ve also worked with governing bodies around the world to impact women with fibroids around the globe.
Global Community Building: The Fibroid Foundation reaches over 180 countries providing support, and education to erase menstrual stigmas. We’ve become the premier global community of fibroids patients and physicians working together. We have created local chapters that allow Fibroid Foundation ambassadors to bring our educational resources to their local communities.
Evidence-Based Impact: Our founder Sateria has co-authored several scientific papers on fibroid research.
Breaking the Silence: We strive to erase the ‘Stigma of Silence’ around menstrual health and minimize treatment disparities with layered patient support.
But here’s what drives us forward today: despite all this progress, fibroids remain one of the least funded areas of medical research relative to how many women they affect.
The Ripple Effect of $12
This year, we’re launching something special to forward our mission – the 12 for 12 Challenge. We’re asking you to donate just $12 to honor our 12 years of impact, then invite 12 friends to do the same.
Why $12? Because small actions create massive change, just like Sateria’s initial quest for information became a global movement.
Your $12 helps fund the research partnerships that could lead to breakthrough treatments. It supports the legislative advocacy that brought The Fibroid Bill to Congress. It powers our global community that now spans 180 countries, ensuring women everywhere can access accurate information and support.
But more than that, your $12 sends a message. It says that women’s health matters. It says that conditions affecting millions of women deserve the same attention, funding, and urgency as any other major health crisis.
Your Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept It
Here’s what we’re asking of you:
Step 1: Donate $12 to honor our 12 years of breaking barriers and building hope here.
Step 2: Share this challenge with 12 people in your life. Your sister, your colleague, your neighbor, your book club, your gym buddy – anyone who believes that women’s health matters.
Step 3: Watch the ripple effect unfold, just like how one woman’s determination created a movement spanning 180 countries.
If just 1,000 people take this challenge, and each person successfully invites 12 friends, we’ll have created a movement of over 12,000 supporters. That’s more than just funding. That’s a community of voices saying, “Women’s pain matters. Women’s health matters. Women matter.”
A Personal Note From Our Community
Twelve years ago, Sateria started this foundation because she believed every woman deserved better than being told to “just deal with it.” Today, we’re not just a patient-founded, advocacy organization supporting the global sisterhood—we’re a force for change with real legislative victories, research partnerships, and innovative solutions.
Today, we’re asking you to be part of that change.
Your $12 isn’t just a donation—it’s a declaration that women’s health is worth fighting for. It’s an investment in a future where breakthrough treatments are possible, where legislative change protects women’s health, and where innovative solutions address real daily challenges.
Join Our Global Community
This Saturday, as we celebrate twelve years of progress, from one woman’s diagnosis to a global movement reaching 180 countries, we’re also looking ahead to the next twelve years of possibility. We’re dreaming of initiatives to find a CURE for fibroids.
But we can’t get there without you.
Take the 12 for 12 Challenge today. Donate $12. Invite 12 friends. Be part of the ripple effect that started with Sateria’s quest for information and continues to change everything for women with fibroids worldwide.
Donate $12 Now – 12 for 12 Challenge
We’re continuing a journey that started with one woman’s determination and has grown into a global community spanning 180 countries. We’re making sure that twelve years from now, no woman will have to face fibroids without the support, information, and innovative solutions she deserves.
Thank you for being part of our story. Thank you for helping us write the next chapter.