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Connecticut Advocates Fight to End Stigma Around Migraine Through Global Campaign
Shades for Migraine drives awareness, bringing visibility, community, and hope to those living with migraine
Hartford, CT — June 2025 – This June, Connecticut joins a global movement to recognize Migraine and Headache Awareness Month through the Shades for Migraine campaign—an international initiative led by the nonprofit Association of Migraine Disorders.
Maritza Ferrer, a Waterbury resident who lives with Hemiplegic Migraine, is using her story to help others understand the true impact of life with migraine—a disease that has shaped her daily reality for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve wrestled with migraine attacks all my life,” Ferrer said. “It is debilitating, painful, isolating, and can be lonely.”
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Her symptoms are wide-ranging and severe, including: aura, extreme light and sound sensitivity, brain fog, slurred speech, stroke-like paralysis on her left side, weakness, numbness, loss of balance, facial pain, neck pain, nausea, and more.
“People might see me looking fine on the outside, but inside I’m fighting to get through the day,” Ferrer said. “It’s exhausting having to explain brain fog, ask people to repeat themselves, and apologize when I can’t keep up with a conversation.”
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The single mother and senior litigation paralegal says migraine has impacted every part of her life—from work to relationships to her ability to enjoy social events. She often takes sick days, triple-checks her work to compensate for foggy thinking, and avoids making plans she may have to cancel at the last minute.
But she’s found strength and belonging through advocacy—and especially through the Shades for Migraine campaign.
“Shades for Migraine means community, support, acceptance—a platform where we can come together and share our thoughts, worries, and symptoms without judgment,” Ferrer said.
Migraine affects more than one billion people globally and is one of the leading causes of disability. Yet, because symptoms are often invisible, many people living with migraine feel doubted, dismissed, or misunderstood.
“One of the biggest barriers for people with migraine is that often, symptoms aren’t visible,” said Dr. Franchesca Fiorito, neurologist and Shades for Migraine Medical Ambassador. “That invisibility leads to skepticism, misunderstanding, and judgment.”
To build awareness and gain visibility on the local level, Ferrer led the charge to have Waterbury officials formally recognize June as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in a city citation. Another dedicated campaign volunteer, Emily—a 26-year-old Enfield resident living with chronic migraine—helped secure a statewide MAHAM proclamation.
By sharing her experience, and working with others through Shades for Migraine, Ferrer hopes to break the stigma and make migraine visible.
About Shades for Migraine
Shades for Migraine is a global awareness campaign that encourages people to wear sunglasses on June 21 in solidarity with those living with migraine. Launched in 2017 by the nonprofit Association of Migraine Disorders, Shades for Migraine works to spread awareness through a fun, engaging, and inclusive approach that sparks conversation and builds empathy.
Media Kit with campaign information, social, images, b-roll: https://bit.ly/25SFMMediaKit
