John A. Fletcher 4.9.1959 - 5.1.2025

About 15 years ago, I was in a worse place than I had ever been before with Cluster Headache. In the few better moments, I spent time on the internet searching for help with terrible and seemingly endless pain attacks. I was drawn to a gentleman who calmly and with kind words supported and helped everyone who had ended up in the worst abyss of their own despair.

John Fletcher was the name of a man who knew how to navigate the person he was helping to the solid rock with his essence. And no wonder, John had worked as a sailor for a long time in his youth and with long work assignments at sea with Cluster Headache, he had to somehow just survive until he found solid ground under his feet again.

John Fletcher founded a small non-profit organization, The Cluster Headache Foundation, and showed by his own example how important persistent pioneering work is with a rare disease. In his good times, he wrote several articles for medical journals in the field of neurology and later launched his own purple chest ribbon symbol for Horton's patients, called the “CH ribbon”.

As the Finnish patient community grew and, among other things, the language barrier was an obstacle to obtaining information for many, John devoted a huge amount of his own time to helping every Finn he could. Others interpreted in both directions. I have always remembered the way in which John spoke openly, bravely and encouragingly about Horton's psychological burden and, among other things, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Almost throughout his long helping work, John struggled with health concerns for a long time and passed away in hospice care on January 5, 2025. He was a unique person - just like the magnificent natural stones from which he worked as a hobby, including jewelry, which many Horton's patients around the world wear.

We will never forget you, John A. Fletcher. Have a good journey!

Toni Taipale and Suomen Horton-yhdistys (Finnish Horton Association)

Pictures published with permission from John's son William (also pictured)

John's memorial service in YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/live/1OdOgp2tBAU?si=f2VO2bqM1Q-vIppb

You can find for an example these articles that John wrote in the internet

• Why Cluster Headaches Are Called "Suicide Headaches"
  https://medcraveonline.com/JNSK/why-cluster-headaches-are-called-ldquosuicide-headachesrdquo.html

• Cluster Headaches... A Deadly Situation
  https://medcraveonline.com/JNSK/cluster-headaches-a-deadly-situation.html