Foundation for Women's Health

Over the course of my lifetime, I have carried 77 uterine fibroids: 25 surgically removed, and more than 50 still growing inside me today, the largest the size of an orange. This is not a rare story. It is just a rarely told one.

I have endured seasons of constant pain, losing dangerous amounts of blood each month, and suffering in silence. In this image, I'm holding 77 fruits, one for each fibroid, to make visible the weight that I, and millions of women like me, carry every day.

Last year, I broke my silence. The response was overwhelming: women everywhere reached out with stories just like mine.

That's why I launched Make Fibroids Count, to raise funds and awareness for uterine fibroid research, and to directly support scientists developing less-invasive and non-invasive treatments.

Women's health has been historically underfunded and under-researched, and fibroids are a striking example: they affect up to 80% of women by age 50, yet treatment options remain limited and often devastatingly invasive. Black women are disproportionately affected, experiencing fibroids earlier and with more severe symptoms. Fibroids are also the leading cause of hysterectomies in the United States, a drastic intervention with profound consequences for a woman's body, identity, and reproductive future.

There is something deeply wrong when a condition this widespread is this poorly understood. That has to change.

Your donation helps fund the research that could change the course of this disease: for me, for the women who reached out, and for the generations of women who come after us.

Help make fibroids visible. Donate today.

I’m launching a fundraiser to support the Foundation for Women’s Health, a nonprofit advancing women-specific health research.

In partnership with Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, they’ve established a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant focused on accelerating minimally and non-invasive treatments for fibroids.

Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus.

Up to 8 out of 10 women will develop them by age 50.

Yet despite affecting an estimated 26 million women ages 15–50 in the U.S. alone, fibroids remain severely under-researched. Treatment options are limited — and often invasive. In fact, fibroids are one of the leading causes of hysterectomy.

#MakeFibroidsCount is about refusing to normalize debilitating pain.

It’s about turning awareness into research — and research into better solutions.

If you’re able, join me.

Donate. Share. Start your own fundraiser.

Together, we can help change the future of women’s health.

For me and my friends growing up, it was a big deal to know which celebrities you shared your birthday with. March 1st is my birthday, and over the years I’ve proudly claimed celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kesha, and Paul Hollywood as my birthday twins. Elite company, honestly.

But recently, I discovered I share March 1st with another incredible woman: Lupita Nyong’o.

And while I love a good celebrity birthday fact, what truly stopped me in my tracks was hearing her story.

Lupita recently launched #MakeFibroidsCount, a campaign raising awareness and funding for uterine fibroid research. As I started learning more, I was honestly shocked. As a woman, even I didn’t fully understand what uterine fibroids were — or how common and under-researched they are.

Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus. Up to 8 out of 10 women will develop fibroids by age 50. And yet, despite impacting millions, fibroids remain severely underfunded and under-researched. Treatment options are limited and often extremely invasive — they’re one of the leading causes of hysterectomies.

How did so many of us not know this?!

I’m fundraising for the Foundation for Women’s Health, a leading nonprofit funding women-specific health research. In partnership with Lupita Nyong’o, they established a Grant focused on advancing less invasive and non-invasive treatment options for Uterine Fibroids.

Since Lupita and I are birthday “twins,” I’m dedicating our birthdays to something bigger this year.

I’m fundraising in support of Make Fibroids Count — for our birthdays, and for the millions of women who deserve better research, better treatment options, and better outcomes.

My sister has been there for me my entire life. She’s caught me when I fall, wiped away my tears, and been my voice of reason more times than I can count. Just as much as she’s always shown up for me, I want to show up for her now.

Today, I’m asking you to join me in supporting her and millions of other women, by helping raise critical funds for research into less invasive treatments for fibroids.

This cause is deeply personal. My sisters, close friends, aunties, and so many women I love have battled fibroids. I’ve watched them endure painful and frightening surgeries, face heavy bleeding and discomfort, and carry constant worry on the impact on their fertility, often in silence, told that it’s “common” and handed only a few difficult options.

My sister now has the chance to help change that. She’s part of a movement to transform women’s health, and I want to stand beside her every step of the way.

I'm fundraising for the Foundation for Women’s Health, a leading nonprofit funding women specific health research. They established, in partnership with Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to advance less invasive and non-invasive medical treatments for fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus. Up to 8 out of 10 women will develop fibroids by age 50, and despite affecting ~26M women ages 15-50 in the US alone, fibroids remain severely under researched. Treatment options are limited and often extremely invasive. Fibroids, for example, are a leading cause for hysterectomies!

#MakeFibroidsCount is a movement for millions of women who silently carry physical and emotional burdens from fibroids. Together, we can change the future of women’s health. Join the movement. Donate to support the Foundation for Women’s Health!

Please help me reach my goal by donating any amount you can and stand with me for my sister.

Thank you!

Hi, we are Addy Moore and Kenna Walker, and we’re excited to support the Foundation for Women’s Health, a remarkable organization dedicated to filling crucial gaps in medical research. We are seniors in high school and would like to make a meaningful difference for equality in healthcare. We are doing this as part of our English advocacy project by raising awareness for a cause we believe in.

Your contribution can directly support their vital work in the following ways:

Every dollar counts, and your support can help bring about meaningful change. Join me in this collective effort to elevate women's health. Let's make a lasting impact together!

Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus, and unfortunately, they are a common plight for many women. Not only have I faced my own struggles with fibroids, but I've also witnessed many of the incredible women in my life endure the same battle, each with varying degrees of severity. Heavy, painful periods, chronic pelvis pain, anemia, reproductive issues or complications, and even physical changes are just some of the major life disruptions that women with fibroids have to face.

What is truly alarming is that while up to 8 out of 10 women will develop fibroids by age 50, fibroids remain severely under-researched. The treatment options available are limited and often extremely invasive, affecting women of all ages.

This is why I am fundraising for the Foundation for Women's Health, a leading nonprofit that funds women-specific health research. They have established, in partnership with Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o, a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to advance less invasive and non-invasive medical treatments for fibroids.

The #MakeFibroidsCount movement is for the millions of women who silently carry the physical and emotional burdens of fibroids.

I am incredibly proud of my cousin Lupita for using her platform to shine a light on this issue and bring much-needed change to the future of women's health.

This is about better options for us and for our daughters.

I invite you to join this movement and support the Foundation of Women's Health. Every donation counts and will help us move closer to a future where fibroids no longer dictate the quality of women's lives.

Thank you for your support.

I'm fundraising for the Foundation for Women’s Health, a leading nonprofit funding women specific health research. They established, in partnership with Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to advance less invasive and non-invasive medical treatments for fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus. Up to 8 out of 10 women will develop fibroids by age 50, and despite affecting ~26M women ages 15-50 in the US alone, fibroids remain severely under researched. Treatment options are limited and often extremely invasive. Fibroids, for example, are a leading cause for hysterectomies! #MakeFibroidsCount is a movement for millions of women who silently carry physical and emotional burdens from fibroids. Together, we can change the future of women’s health. Join the movement. Donate to support the Foundation for Women’s Health!

For over 12 years, The White Dress Project (TWDP) has been transforming the lives of those affected by uterine fibroids. Our mission is to shine a global spotlight on this widespread condition, ensuring no one faces it alone or in silence. We do this through education, research, community-building, and advocacy. We empower individuals with knowledge about fibroids and their treatment options, drive meaningful research, and unite a passionate community of advocates fighting for better health outcomes. Our commitment is clear: to end the silent suffering associated with fibroids, once and for all.

We are fundraising for the Foundation for Women’s Health, a leading nonprofit funding women specific health research. They established, in partnership with Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, a Uterine Fibroid Research Grant to advance less invasive and non-invasive medical treatments for fibroids. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus. Up to 8 out of 10 women will develop fibroids by age 50, and despite affecting ~26M women ages 15-50 in the US alone, fibroids remain severely under researched. Treatment options are limited and often extremely invasive. Fibroids, for example, are a leading cause for hysterectomies!

#MakeFibroidsCount is a movement for millions of women who silently carry physical and emotional burdens from fibroids. Together, we can change the future of women’s health. Join the movement. Donate to support the Foundation for Women’s Health!

For my 38th birthday this year, I’m choosing to turn my journey with fibroids into something meaningful—something that can help others.

In this photo, the red balloon is deeply symbolic for me. It represents "the red"—the sudden, heavy bleeding and chronic anemia that I lived with for years. A balloon looks light, almost whimsical, but for a long time, it felt like a weight I was tethered to. It quietly dictated where I could go, how I showed up, and how much energy I had left to give.

As a Bangladeshi woman, I’ve realized that while red is often a color of celebration for us, the "red" of our health struggles is usually kept invisible. We are so often taught to just "endure" and push through the pain. For years, I was told that my heavy bleeding and exhaustion was "normal", I minimized the symptoms, and adjusted my life around it. Slowly, though, it began to feel like I was living as a prisoner in my own body.

In January 2025, I finally chose to take my health back and had a myomectomy. That surgery was my moment of release—the moment I finally got to let that string go. But I also recognize the immense privilege I had in accessing quality healthcare to make that choice. It changed my life, but recovery shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be the standard for everyone.

Since I started opening up about my experience, even just a little, I I’ve been overwhelmed by how many friends, colleagues, and acquaintances have been quietly dealing with the exact same story.

That’s why I’m raising funds for the FWH x Lupita Nyong’o Uterine Fibroid Grant. Your donations helps fund research and directly support scientists developing less-invasive and non-invasive treatments. No one should have to spend years questioning their body or accepting pain as their "baseline."

If you’d like to support, here is how you can help:

❤️ Donate: Any amount truly makes a difference in research and care.

❤️ Share: Someone in your life might need to see this today.

❤️ Talk about it: These conversations matter more than we realize.

Sharing this isn’t easy, but if it helps even one person feel seen or empowered to ask for the care they deserve, then it’s the best gift I could ask for. I’m happy to start this conversation and would love to connect with others who want to share theirs.

Thank you for the birthday love, the shares, and for helping me #makefibroidscount. @lupitanyongo @foundationwomenshealth