A Violin Sendoff
Ms. Lint
To end the day, Alison Lint, founder of the nonprofit Violin for Vasculitis and a Vasculitis Foundation board member, delivered two heartfelt violin solos and an upbeat message that echoed earlier sentiments about finding and creating community. Diagnosed with GPA when she was 17, Ms. Lint said she’s had the disease for more than half of her life. She continued to relapse until she started taking rituximab in January 2013. “This is my Year 6 of being in remission, which is super awesome,” she said, to a burst of applause from around the room.
Once her health stabilized, she founded Violin for Vasculitis and began a 50-state tour to bring her music to vasculitis meetings and organize a young adults group to provide a sense of community. For her second solo of the day, Ms. Lint played part of a melancholy Bach sonata—giving attendees a chance to reflect on new insights and connections while providing a counterweight to the lighter moments. For 90 seconds, only the mournful sounds of a violin and an occasional cough filled the room as afternoon sunshine filtered through the curtains and Mt. Rainier shimmered in the distance.
