Advocacy efforts play an essential role in building stronger systems of care for rare diseases. By elevating the experiences of families and engaging policymakers, organizations such as the Ivan & Joan Foundation are helping move rare disease awareness and care forward in their communities.
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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.
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My name is Kambri, and I’m 17 years old. I was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia when I was five. Before my diagnosis, I just didn’t feel good for a while. I had frequent nosebleeds, bruised easily, and was tired a...
What I hope for most is a cure. And until then, I hope for Paige and others with FA to live lives as close to normal as possible, filled with opportunity, independence, and happiness.