NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Fertility Association (AFA)
announced that actress Brenda Strong will serve as the first national
spokesperson for the fertility patient advocacy organization. Ms. Strong --
known to many as Mary-Alice Young, the narrator and dearly-departed Wisteria
Lane neighbor on ABC's hit "Desperate Housewives" -- wrestled with infertility
and turned to the practice of yoga to manage and alleviate the associated
stress brought on by the diagnosis. She will use her spokesperson platform to
educate infertile women and men on how they can re-connect with their bodies,
reduce stress, and increase self esteem through exercise and complementary
medicine.
"Brenda's holistic approach to fertility teaches us to treat the whole
individual -- mind, body, and spirit. We have to balance the elements we can
control with those that we cannot. That's an important message that too often
gets relegated to the sidelines," said Pamela Madsen, Founder and Executive
Director of The American Fertility Association.
"It's difficult to love your body when you feel like it's failing you.
Yoga reduced my stress and bodily tension. It allowed me to bring my body back
into balance, to emerge from my fertility struggle with my sense of self
esteem and self worth intact, and to forge a stronger bond with my husband,"
said Ms. Strong.
This fall, Ms. Strong will begin a high-visibility media campaign to
support The AFA and women and men on the journey toward wholeness and
acceptance in their reproductive capabilities. To kickoff her role as national
spokesperson, she will serve as Master of Ceremony at the American Fertility
Association's Kokopelli Ball at the Chelsea Piers on Monday, November 7, 2005.
"Too often fertility treatment addresses only a failing body part or an
inadequate hormone level. But reproductive difficulties are much more than a
bad ovary or low sperm count," added Madsen. "Brenda brings a fresh, new
perspective and reminds us that there is a soul and an emotional component to
reproductive challenges that we should not forget."
Ms. Strong has taught at UCLA's Mind-Body Institute and produced and
starred in "Yoga 4 Fertility," a video series designed to help infertile
couples through yoga therapy (http://www.yoga4fertility.com). She and her husband
designed a system of yoga postures for women and couples experiencing
infertility which reduce stress, increase coping mechanisms, deepen awareness,
increase relaxation capability, and improve circulation and muscle tone. The
yoga practice enhances and supports any protocol treatment suggested by a
fertility doctor.
She is a familiar face on the small and big screen. In addition to
"Desperate Housewives," Strong is also recognizable to television audiences as
Sue Ellen Mishkie (a.k.a. "The Braless Wonder") on the award-winning series
"Seinfeld." She has also has recurring roles on such acclaimed series as
"Nip/Tuck," "Everwood," "Sports Night," "7th Heaven" and "Party of Five."
Brenda Strong is available for interview. Please contact Frank Fusco at
212-714-3537 or frank@depcr.com.
THE AMERICAN FERTILITY ASSOCIATION (AFA) is a national organization
dedicated to educating, supporting and advocating for all men and women
concerned with reproductive health, fertility preservation, infertility and
all forms of family building. Visit http://www.TheAFA.org or call 888-917-3777 for
more information and support.
Contact: Frank Fusco
David Eng Communications
(212) 714-3537
frank@decpr.com
SOURCE The American Fertility Association
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Related links:
http://www.TheAFA.org
http://www.yoga4fertility.com
CONTACT:
Frank Fusco, David Eng Communications,
+1-212-714-3537, frank@decpr.com, for The American Fertility
Association
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