The Global Genes RARE Advocacy Summit in September 2023 provided a forum for me to talk, for the first time, about my upcoming book and how rare disease communities have been a key part of my professional life. Here’s a set of questions that Sravanthi Meka of Global Genes asked me in advance of the meeting: […]
Networkers
Wow! How? Patient-Led Research
A scientific journal article written primarily by patients about their health condition has been downloaded over a million times. We reached this milestone after years of activism, advocacy, and demands for justice. The internet supercharged everyone’s ability to connect with information and with each other. The crucible of the pandemic then forced us into new […]
Wow! How? Peer Support
Hank Azaria’s tribute to Matthew Perry was as much a love letter to peer support as it was a remembrance of his friend: “…as bad as we feel, as low as we go, we tend to feel we’re alone in it, whether our problem is alcoholism, a bad marriage, illness, depression, strife. We feel that […]
Wow! How? Gleevec
When Norman Scherzer’s wife, Anita, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 1994, he found that the most up-to-date information was being traded among patients who were connecting via email. When a new test, a new drug, and a new clinical trial were all developed at the same time, Scherzer helped organize the […]
Wow! How? False Boundaries
This is a cross-post from my LinkedIn newsletter. Feel free to join the conversation there or post your thoughts in the comments below. Every single day, Emily Kramer-Golinkoff takes 30+ pills, plus insulin, and engages in hours of breathing treatments. She is a sought-after expert on patient-driven scientific discovery, having co-founded a nonprofit, Emily’s Entourage, that pursues breakthrough therapies for […]
Wow! How? Drug Interactions
This is a cross-post from my LinkedIn newsletter. Feel free to join the conversation there or post your thoughts in the comments below. People who connect with health peers are able to pool knowledge, track data, and disseminate what they learn. For some, it’s the difference between life and death. For example, Peggy, a woman […]
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