(Tucson, Arizona) - Sirena Dufault, who 10 years ago spent most of her days in bed because of pain and fatigue, has chosen an extreme way to get her message out. This month, the Tucson, Arizona resident, who suffers from a chronic pain disorder called fibromyalgia, will begin an 800-mile hike along the Arizona Trail.
"One of my goals with this hike is to educate people about fibromyalgia, and give people an idea of what it is like to deal with a chronic pain condition,” says Dufault. "Even though I am well enough to do a hike of this length, fibromyalgia affects everyone who has it in a different way."
Dufault was hit by a car while walking across a street in January 1997 during her final semester at University of Arizona. Though no bones were broken, she suffered from intense muscle pain, jaw problems and fatigue following the accident. Rather than improving over time, her symptoms worsened. At age 24, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic fibromyalgia, a complex chronic pain disorder that affects an estimated 10 million Americans.
Dufault began walking about a year after her accident as a way to get some gentle exercise. Later, she started hiking easy trails and eventually, in 2002, she took her first backpacking trip. On March 13 at 1 p.m., Dufault will kickoff her 800-mile Arizona Trail to raise awareness for fibromyalgia at Colossal Cave Mountain Park, and finish at the border of Arizona and Utah approximately 10 weeks later. To track her progress, visit her website listed below for trail journal/blog entries, pictures and videos.
Proceeds raised from the awareness walk will be donated to the National Fibromyalgia Association, a national nonprofit organization located in Orange County, Calif. that is dedicated to decreasing the burden of the disorder through education, research and patient advocacy. For more information on Dufault’s awareness campaign, visit www.aztrail4fms.org.
