Limited Edition Friends (LEF) is a Nonprofit Organization started in the City of Angels focused on building a community of patients with limited edition illnesses (as well as their friends and families). It also is a hub to provide education, information, and resources on those illnesses and help to raise alertness on illnesses that have no cure, less science focused on them, and limited resources to support those who live with them.
Amanda Johnson is the Limited Edition Founder. Amanda, a misfit of science herself, identifies with the Giraffe, Monkey, Otter, and Bat. Amanda has been passionate about building the LEF community for the past 7 years after a loved one close to her was diagnosed with a limited edition illness. In 2017 Amanda started the LEF Facebook group which has flourished and grown into what the Limited Edition Friends is today.
When Amanda was first diagnosed with Chiari she felt very alone. She had no support system, no one to talk to about her illness, and no one around her who understood what she was going through. This was the start of Amanda’s desire to create a safe space where anyone with a “Limited Edition” illness could connect with each other. She wanted to build a community of Limited Edition Friends that would serve as a support system of people who understand each other and the unique challenges they face every day. She also wanted to create a resource of information about illnesses that don’t get a lot of big science, a lot of press, or funding
While there may be no cures, we can teach people and raise awareness. Our job is to start educating the world one town at a time
Several of the animals are endangered or have characteristics that tie to the symptoms or traits of the illness. Having a parallel spirit animal for each illness was one of the core goals of the LEF Project.
There were some common animals associated with invisible illnesses as a whole but the LEF project felt it was important that each community gets its own sense of identity; its own mascot. It gives the illness more visablity to the world and gives the kids a character to embrace. Making sure children with a limited illness did not have a feeling alone or weird because they were different and making sure they understand there is a whole community out there – the LEF mission of bringing people together.