Nov 01 2023
Celebrating 15 Years of Change: Wake Up Narcolepsy Shares Anniversary Video

This month, Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN), a national leader in Narcolepsy awareness and research, celebrates 15 years of dedication to individuals with Narcolepsy and their loved ones. 

In November of 2008, three individuals decided that it was time for a wake up call. There were no other organizations raising money to support Narcolepsy research, there was a lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals, the media and the general public. Monica and David Gow, parents of a child with Narcolepsy, came together with Kevin Cosgrove, an adult with Narcolepsy, to found Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to driving Narcolepsy awareness, education and research towards improved treatments and a cure. Since then, WUN has served as a place for people to find hope, guidance, support, connections, resources and so much more. 

Over the past 15 years, Wake Up Narcolepsy has been supported by countless individuals, both with and without connections to Narcolepsy, businesses, organizations, medical professionals, researchers, pharmaceutical companies, donors, volunteers and so many more. The impact of WUN is the impact of each and every person who has donated to fund research, attended an event or webinar, shared a Narcolepsy post on social media, told someone about Narcolepsy (and how it’s not what they’ve seen in the media), joined an online support group, led an online support group, suggested a term for our education series, spoke at our education days, shared a clinical trial, told your Narcolepsy story. 

We want to take this milestone to say thank you to everyone out there who has been a part of WUN’s journey. We appreciate you and hope you know your impact on the sleep world.

We want to share our 15th Anniversary Celebration Video with you all to show you some of the things WUN has accomplished over the years with your support and generosity. The creation of this video was a long process and we wish we could’ve included every single memory from the past 15 years. If you don’t see yourself in the video, just know that your impact is there. You are all a huge part of why WUN exists and we continue to appreciate you every step of the way. 

Some Notable Highlights from the past 15 years: 

• $1.35 Million donated to accelerate Narcolepsy research
• 5 International Webinars – Covering 6 Continents
• 14 Boston Marathon teams
• 2 Comedy Shows
• 4 Public Service Announcements
• 5 Golf Outings
• 9 Weekly Support Groups
• 6 Family Weekends/Camps
• 16 Brown Bag Webinars
• 55 Podcast Episodes
• 3 Nashville Songwriting Contests
• 8 Seattle Giving Campaigns

As we reflect on everything from our journey thus far, we look forward to all the things we have planned for the next 15 years. We are hopeful for the future for people living with Narcolepsy and remain as dedicated as ever to our mission in supporting them, funding research for better treatments and a cure, and raising awareness about the so-often misunderstood disorder.

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