Help Medieval Maidens fight Cystic Fibrosis

For the month of June 2012, Medieval Maidens will donate 20% of all sales to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).

Our Medieval Maidens online store carries books detailing the lives of Gisela, Adele, Isabelle, Gevrehan, and Mary, who all lived during the Middle Ages and, in Mary's case, the Renaissance. We also have the Gisela doll for sale as well as Medieval outfits for any 18-inch doll. Purchases can be made via PayPal or by filling out and emailing or snail-mailing our online order form. www.medievalmaidens.net/onlinestore.html

Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk carry Gisela's Story and Gisela's Holiday Story.
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.co.uk

No matter what you purchase or from where, 20% of your money will be donated to CFF.

In July, Medieval Maidens will announce the total amount make the donation over to CFF.

Here's some information on Cistic Fibrosis from the CFF website

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

• clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
• obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

• very salty-tasting skin;
• persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
• frequent lung infections;
• wheezing or shortness of breath;
• poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
• frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.

More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.

More than 45% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.

The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is in the late 30s.

Since 1955, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been the driving force behind the pursuit of a cure. Thanks to the dedication and financial backing of our supporters — patients, families and friends, clinicians, researchers, volunteers, individual donors, corporations and staff, we are making a difference.

For more information, visit:
http://www.cff.org
http://www.medievalmaidens.net

Thank you for your support. Together, let's make a difference.

May Day

Happy May 1st!

Mayday was celebrated in the medieval times but began as a spring festival. The Romans began the celebration as a festival to honor Flora, the goddess of flowers.

In the Christian church, May was seen as the month of Mary, and flower bouquets were brought to churches to honor her.

Mayday is also known for Maypole dances. The Maypole dance is a type of folk dance where dancers circle around a pole. Sometimes long ribbons are attached to the pole and each dancer takes hold of a colorful ribbon.

Also during Mayday festivities, a Queen of May is usually crowned. May 1 originally marked the first day of summer. June 21st was known as midsummer.

In 16th century France, King Charles IX was given a lily of the valley as a good luck charm. He was so pleased with the idea that he began presenting lilies of the valley to all of the ladies of the court. The tradition of giving lilies of the valley on May 1 continues in France today.

May 1 is also the day celebrating workers in many European countries. It is similar to our Labor Day in the United States. In many of these countries today is a national holiday and people celebrate those in the work force.