Alyssa Milano Kicks Off Campaign Against Tropical Disease

By PopEater Staff Posted Apr 19th 2011 06:00PM

Alyssa Milano is always sticking her neck out for the underdog, whether it is an actual group of dogs who will be put to sleep unless she saves them or in the case of her latest campaign, a little heard of tropical disease which actually affects millions of people.

Milano has partnered with do-gooder website Tonic.com to raise $75,000 on behalf of the victims of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). LF, also known as elephantiasis, is found in many tropical climates and transmitted to humans through the bite of a mosquito.

You probably haven't heard about it even though it impacts over 120 million worldwide. If you have heard of elephantiasis it is probably from a joke in the movie 'The Breakfast Club.' (We won't mention it here since it is in poor taste, but it ends with Judd Nelson asking Molly Ringwald, "How does he ride a bike?")

Through Milano's work as the founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, she recently learned about a project in India that helps over 23,000 people suffering from LF by teaching them how to treat and care for themselves, literally putting them back on their feet. The program also educates families and the community about the disease to make it less stigmatizing.

"To keep the program alive it needs a major funding boost of $75,000. When you think about it, $75,000 isn't very expensive - only about $3.25 per person, per year - a small amount of money can make a huge impact," Milano writes on Tonic.com. "That's why, all this week, I've teamed up with Tonic, and the Global Network to ask all my fans to band together and contribute to this, the worthiest and most cost-effective cause we can imagine."

Tags: alyssa milano

Comments

(7)

Tuesday 19 April

By Geo

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The goal of the article is good, but why does the "Popeater Staff" find the need to mention a joke about the disease? The most famous movie to mention when discussing elephantiasis would be The Elephant Man, not The Breakfast Club. Bizarre writing style for a serious subject.

By Diane

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The elephant man didn't have Elephantiasis. He was originally thought to have Neurofibromatosis, but scientists now think he had Proteus Syndrome.

Wednesday 20 April

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Yes, I realized that when I posted, but they share similar characteristics and quite frankly my point was that the writer(s) shouldn't try to be funny when writing about a serious matter. Did you at least understand the point of my post, or is your main concern the differences between diseases and conditions that cause malformations and suffering?

By usthatswho1

It's Pop Eater. Of course they would mess up something like this. Par for the course.

By Misty

What and who will speak for the little people? How about getting Hayden Pantiera to join! what a troll!

By Gin

Better to leave a little to the imagination.
Expectations would be too high, and there is no upside for her.

Best to keep the slightly older 'frame' under wraps.
She's definitely better off than her peers in a bikini, but couldn't hold a torch to the 20 somethings.

Keep them guessing is the best policy for her.

By the_fool

If she got Charlie Sheen to give up one day of drugs and contribute to this cause - money problem solved.
Or Oprah to donate one or two days pay - money problem solved.
She herself could probably get a television or movie part and be paid so well .... that the money problem could be solved.

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