National Campaign to Raise Awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Gains Momentum and Reach

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., July 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A national awareness campaign on the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the negative physical and mental health impacts that can result from them is swiftly capturing widespread public attention. Since a mid-May launch, more than 150,000 visitors have learned about ACEs through NumberStory.org.

ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. These include childhood abuse, neglect and household challenges, such as having a parent or caregiver with mental illness, or substance misuse or dependence. About two out of three adults have at least one ACE. The long-term effects of ACEs can lead to increased probability of heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and stroke as well as a greater chance of depression, anxiety, and suicide. The life expectancy of individuals with six or more ACEs is 18 years shorter than that of individuals with none. The NumberStory.org website, in both English and Spanish, enables visitors to learn about ACEs and other types of childhood adversity and be directed to resources for healing and prevention.

"After 25 years since the original ACEs study and subsequent thousands of research studies to better understand the short and long-term impacts of childhood adversity, the vast majority of people still don't know about it," said Sarah Marikos, MPH, Executive Director of the ACE Resource Network. "We couldn't be more excited about how the campaign has already reached so many people across the country, and how it has already had a positive impact."

California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a pioneer of changing how our society recognizes and responds to ACEs and toxic stress, is lending her voice to The Story of Your Number campaign. In June, she spoke with Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Camila Cabello who posted a powerful video from their ACEs conversation. At age 24, Cabello has already amassed a huge fan base through her platinum selling album Camila, featuring the chart topping single "Havana," and its follow up album Romance which included the single "Senorita." She's also starring in the title role of Cinderella in a new live action film from Sony Pictures. Her conversation with Dr. Burke Harris has already been viewed more than 1.25 million times. It can be viewed at www.NumberStory.org.

"Dr. Nadine Burke Harris' work on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is revolutionary," Cabello said. "I have learned so much through her work and about the effects of toxic stress, ACEs, and how we can give ourselves the tools to heal from past traumas. Learning about ACEs, destigmatizing the conversation around mental health, and giving people access to the resources they need is so important as we work towards our collective healing."

The campaign has caught fire in the social media sphere thanks to a growing chorus of diverse influencers. A-list talent who've supported the campaign through their social media channels include singer songwriter, actor and record producer John Legend, actors Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson and Wil Wheaton, and fashion guru Tim Gunn.

Dr. Burke Harris also recently participated in an IG Live conversation on ACEs with Maggie Baird, mother of Grammy-winning recording artist Billie Eilish. She also taped an upcoming episode of Laverne Cox' podcast. "It only takes one person to have an idea, but it takes a groundswell of support to turn ideas into action and build momentum for life-long change," said Dr. Burke Harris. "I'm so grateful to Camila and the many influential voices who are raising awareness of ACEs and NumberStory.org for the good of current and future generations."

Youth poets have posted original work inspired by ACEs through Get Lit, a Los Angeles-based arts education nonprofit. Poet Cielo Valenzuela performed her poem for actor and activist Karla Souza, from the television series How to Get Away with Murder. "Mental health is a topic that is very personal and important to me," said Souza. "I'm inspired that Cielo and the other Get Lit poets are using their voices and talent to end the stigma surrounding mental illness and help break the cycle of ACEs." Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who has already penned Reflection, his debut book of poetry, provided an introduction to a recent Get Lit post. Katelyn Ohashi, former artistic gymnast and six-time All American is also participating. Additional influencers are expected to appear alongside some of the poets over the next few months.

In addition to these influencers, The Story of Your Number campaign is actively engaging with a growing group of partners who are further raising awareness of ACEs including:

• The Science & Entertainment Exchange, which connects the entertainment industry with top scientists and engineers to bring accurate science to storytelling. In June, Dr. Burke Harris took part in an online conversation with Wendy Calhoun, a writer and producer for the series Prodigal Son. Their discussion generated more than 100 questions from the more than 1,000 attendees.
• Through a collaboration with Aurrera Health and the state of California as part of the ACEs Aware initiative, materials featuring the campaign will be distributed to 90,000 California healthcare providers in both English and Spanish.
• PACEs (Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences) Connection, the country's largest ACE organization hosted a webinar on the campaign in May.

The cornerstone of the campaign remains the interactive NumberStory.org website. The site also features an array of eye-popping animated videos that describe ACEs with emotive imagery. Among the video design and production houses who brought these videos to life are MEDL Mobil Enterprises, Rogier Wieland Studio and ThinkWildStudios.com. "There are many times where we solve a problem and write code; it's rare when the problem you solve is part of a bigger solution," said Michael Gilmore, Executive Vice President of MEDL Mobile Enterprises, LLC.

For more information, visit www.NumberStory.org.

ABOUT CAMILA CABELLO
Multi Grammy nominated Cuban born singer/songwriter Camila Cabello (Epic Records / SYCO) released her debut solo album, CAMILA in January 2018 to rave reviews. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart at the same time as her single "Havana" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Camila the first solo artist in nearly 15 years to reach the #1 spot on the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and Artist 100 charts in the same week. Camila also became the #1 artist on global Spotify. She took home awards for Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for her hit "Havana" at the 2018 Video Music Awards. At the end of 2018, she was nominated for two Grammys including "Best Pop Vocal Album" for her album, CAMILA, and "Best Pop Solo Performance" for "Havana" (Live). Beginning her official solo career after four years in Fifth Harmony, Camila released her RIAA 9x platinum smash hit "Havana," in August 2017 where it obtained the #1 spot on the pop radio chart, marking her second top 40 #1 as a solo artist. "Havana" became the most streamed song of all time by a female artist and was the number one song of 2018 globally. Her 3x platinum single "Never Be The Same," was released in January 2018 and peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Camila became the first artist in history to have two multi-format number one singles as the first two singles from their debut album.  Camila had previously earned a chart-topping smash with her 2x platinum-certified hit "Bad Things" with MGK which generated over 400 million on-demand streams. Camila released the global smash single "Señorita," with Shawn Mendes in June 2019, it debuted at #1 on iTunes worldwide and broke Spotify's record for the biggest debut from a male/female duet in its history. "Señorita" was the most streamed song of any song released globally on Spotify in 2019 and was nominated for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. In December 2019, Camila released her sophomore studio album, ROMANCE, which is certified platinum. At the 62nd Grammy Awards, Camila gave a stunning performance of her track, "First Man," where she sang directly to her father in the crowd. Camila is the first female artist since Adele to triple up atop Billboard's Hot 100, Billboard 200 & Artist 100 charts. Camila is also an ambassador for Save the Children. She is set to make her acting debut starring in CINDERELLA, releasing this September.

In 2020, Camila, along with Movement Voter Fund, launched the Healing Justice Project, which provides direct grant funding for culturally relevant mental health and wellness resources to youth activists and grassroots organizations working at the intersection of racial and economic justice, electoral organizing and other movements that work towards bettering and moving this country forward. 

ABOUT NADINE BURKE HARRIS, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is an award-winning physician, researcher and advocate dedicated to changing the way our society responds to one of the most serious, expensive and widespread public health crises of our time: childhood trauma. She was appointed as California's first-ever Surgeon General by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2019 and quickly became a trusted leader in the state's COVID-19 pandemic response. Dr. Burke Harris has established early childhood, health equity, and ACEs and toxic stress as key priorities to address as California Surgeon General. Her career has been dedicated to serving vulnerable communities and combating the root causes of health disparities. 

She is the Founder of the Center for Youth Wellness, an organization leading the effort to advance pediatric medicine, raise public awareness, and transform the way society responds to children exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. Dr. Burke Harris' TED Talk, "How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across the Lifetime" has been viewed more than 8.6 million times. Her book The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity was called "indispensable" by The New York Times. She is the recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Heinz Award for the Human Condition.

Contact:
Eric Lindbom,
[email protected] 
323-497-0151

SOURCE Office of the California Surgeon General