by Heather Graf
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Imagine it's your graduation day, wedding day, or perhaps your child's first day of kindergarten, and you're so sick you can't be there. That means missing out, or suffering through, almost every important event of your life.
Tuesday night, a local woman got a chance to re-claim one of those missed milestones.
Tina Bembry turned 39 years old on May 31. She didn't get to celebrate it.
"I started getting migraines in college, but not very often, maybe one or two a year," she said. "But when I turned 30, I started having them more and more frequently and they really became a problem."
She's battled chronic migraines ever since. That means she suffers from 15 or more headache days in a single month.
"Even holidays, where you might travel to your destination, and then you have to stay in bed instead of interacting with your family and friends," she said.
After missing out on her 39th birthday, Tina heard of a contest called "Rewrite Your Day".
"The winners get a second chance to rewrite their celebration," explained event planner Mindy Weiss. "Imagine waking up on the morning of your wedding or birthday, or first day of college, and not being able to go or being in so much pain, you can't enjoy the day. I couldn't pass up this opportunity to help out."
Tina detailed her personal struggles with migraines in her contest application, and was pleasantly surprised to learn she was one of 15 winners selected.
Tuesday night, the third floor of Bound'ry Restaurant in Nashville was reserved for Tina and her closest family and friends.
"It's amazing, it's going to be a once in a lifetime event for her," said longtime friend Teri Hall.
Her "rewritten" 39th birthday included live music, a dance floor, catered food, and much more.
Organizers of the contest hope it shows other chronic migraine sufferers that support is out there.
"You can find a headache specialist in your city or close to you," said Weiss. "Most of them don't even know they can get help."
The "Rewrite Your Day" contest was developed by the company behind mychronicmigraine.com.
It's a website that seeks to educate people about the condition and help them find appropriate treatment options
To learn more, click here: http://rewriteyourday.mychronicmigraine.com/.
Chronic Migraine patients often suffer from 15 or more headache days in a single month.
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