Seven states recognize May 17th as NEC Awareness Day. Our goal for 2025 is to double that number.
California, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and New York have passed the NEC Awareness Day Resolution.
Along with the State Resolutions, the NEC Awareness Day Resolution was introduced to Congress in 2024.
Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate May 17th as Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day.
If you’re ready for your state to recognize NEC Awareness Day, here’s how to make it happen:
1. Submit this form, so we can connect you with others in your state.
2. If you have been personally affected by NEC, consider joining our NEC Society Connects Facebook group, where you can share your story and connect with others.
3. Wait 48 hours for the NEC Society team to check if there are others in your state working to pass a NEC Awareness Day Resolution. If there are others in your state, we will connect you via email so you can work together. If you’re the only one in your state, that’s okay, you’ve got this! Know that we are here to support you!
4. Use the outline below to contact your state representatives and/or senators. You can find your state representatives and senators here.
We encourage you to personalize your message and share a brief overview (2-3 sentences) of your story and why you’re committed to building a world without NEC.
We encourage you to begin with a phone call to your elected official’s office. Emails and letters are easier for them to ignore. You may need to call multiple times. Your kindness and persistence will go a long way.
Phone Call and Email Outline for Elected Officials
Hello, my name is (name).
I am a constituent and live in (city). I am reaching out to you about necrotizing enterocolitis, also known as NEC. NEC is a devastating intestinal disease that can affect premature and medically fragile infants during their first weeks and months of life. Can you please connect me with Representative/Senator _____’s Health staffer?
(Be sure to get the Health staffer’s name and email address. Once connected with the Health staffer, share the following…)
Hello, (Health staffer’s name). I have teamed up with the NEC Society, the world’s leading NEC-focused nonprofit, because May is NEC Awareness Month, and May 17 is NEC Awareness Day. You can learn more about the NEC Society at NECsociety.org. In 2023, California passed a resolution to recognize NEC Awareness Day. I would be deeply grateful if you would please help me do the same in our state.
Can we find a time to meet so I can share how NEC has affected my life? I’d love to tell you more about NEC Awareness. (See the California Resolution language. Proceed to schedule a time to meet).
I look forward to working together to pass a resolution and raise awareness about NEC so other families in our state never experience the devastation of this disease. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing you on (date and time of confirmed meeting)
Things to Remember
Keep the NEC Society posted on your progress and questions or challenges. If you are invited to go to your state Capitol, let us know as soon as possible so we can send you materials!
All states are different, and NEC Awareness Day Resolutions will be easier to pass in some states than others, and there are different paths to the same outcome. It took about 2.5 months from the first outreach email to the passage of California’s NEC Awareness Day Resolution. All states are different, and some states will move slower or faster than others.
The keys to success in this effort are persistence, adaptability, and sharing your story to inspire hope as well as a sense of urgency – show them they can help make a real difference for babies and families! And remember, your NEC Society community is with you all the way!
Thank you for working to build a world without NEC!
