Town of Brookhaven recognizes Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in April

 At the April 4 Brookhaven Town Board meeting, Councilwoman Jane Bonner presented a proclamation to Sarcoidosis of Long Island founder Frank Rivera declaring April as Sarcoidosis Month in the Town of Brookhaven.

Mr. Rivera is a Patients Rising Senate Member and Autoimmune Association volunteer, a Global Genes RARE Foundation Alliance Member and Advocate, an ambassador for The EveryLife Foundation and a Working Group Member.

The organization supports people afflicted with Sarcoidosis, a rare disease characterized by the formation of tiny clumps of inflammatory cells in one or more organs of the body. These clumps can interfere with an organ’s structure and function. Symptoms could include chest pain, seizures, meningitis, swelling of the joints, hearing loss and blurred vision. 

Mr. Rivera founded Sarcoidosis of Long Island in 2012 after being diagnosed with the disease in 2011. He has been a local, state, and federal advocate for Sarcoidosis and has spoken at two Congressional briefings. He is a former National Ambassador for the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, a Global Genes RARE Foundation Alliance Member and Advocate, an ambassador for The EveryLife Foundation and a Working Group Member. For more information about Sarcoidosis of Long Island, go to www.sarcoidosisofli.org.