More than four decades ago, Lynn Frohnmayer was a mother searching for answers after learning that three of her five children had Fanconi anemia. There was no roadmap and no established network of families or experts. Information was scarce, treatments were limited, and the future her family had been given was devastating.
Directory
Amy Vangel
Member
Amy is 30 years old and lives with her fiancé, Matt in Weymouth, Mass., where she currently works as a nanny for two young boys. She was diagnosed with FA in 1995 and underwent an unrelated stem cell transplant in 2002. Recently, she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma and was successfully treated. Amy has been a guest speaker at Dr. Alan D’Andrea’s class at Harvard Medical School, where she shared her experiences and perspective as an FA patient with early-stage researchers. Amy is open about sharing her story, her knowledge about growing up with FA and how it impacts everyday life. Described as positive and spunky, Amy is looking forward to bringing her perspective of living with FA to help bridge connections between patients and scientists. Amy hopes to provide her personal insight for those who are dealing with FA to know that they and their families are not alone and can live happy lives with this diagnosis.
The Latest
News & Events
What I hope for most is greater awareness, earlier diagnosis, access to treatment and support for families affected by FA in Malaysia. I hope no other mother has to go through what I went through, feeling confused, unprepared and alone while watching her children struggle with FA.
The Fanconi Cancer Foundation is pleased to recognize Dominika as the first-place recipient of the 2026 Winn/Byrd Award for Adults with FA. Dexter Sherrell received the second-place award for his work connecting people affected by rare diseases with researchers, health care professionals and advocates.