Patient Leader Certification: What's Your 60 Second Pitch?
What is your 60-second pitch? In other words, what would you say to someone to summarize who you are in 60 seconds or less?
Share your pitch here, and read other Patient Leaders' pitches! Remember that as you evolve in your Patient Leader journey, your pitch may evolve, too!
Hi, I'm Jessica Davis. My journey into patient advocacy began long before I knew there was a name for it.
For more than 20 years, I helped care for my sister as she navigated lupus, kidney transplants, dialysis, major surgeries, and countless hospitalizations. Over time, I became much more than a sister—I became a caregiver, coordinator, researcher, translator, and advocate. Through that experience, I learned how overwhelming healthcare can be for patients and families, and how important it is to have someone who can help navigate the journey.
After losing my sister to COVID complications in 2022, I made a commitment to turn everything she taught me into something meaningful for others. Today, I am a Board Certified Patient Advocate and am working to bring the patient voice into healthcare through advocacy, education, and patient-centered initiatives within my organization. I believe that every patient deserves to feel heard, every caregiver deserves support, and no one should have to navigate their most difficult healthcare moments alone.
My name is Joe. I am a father, a husband, and a friend. I once had a career in the humanitarian sector, and I later became a hospital chaplain. I am also a Vietnam War veteran. Now, I live with Parkinson's disease full-time.
As you may know, Parkinson's disease affects everyone differently. For me, it has most noticeably impacted my voice and my balance. The simple act of communicating with someone is now precious. It also affects other motor skills I once took for granted, such as writing. I have micrographia, so my handwriting becomes very small. Typing on a keyboard is almost impossible, as it's rare for me to type a word without errors. Ironically, the only way I can communicate effectively is with my voice, using voice-to-text applications on my computer and devices.
I'm excited about where this technology will take me, and I appreciate your patience as I work to break through my own sound barrier to make communication possible.
Hi, I'm Talitha, creator of the Thriving Through MS platform, where I share my journey living with Multiple Sclerosis through books, podcasts, articles, and social media. My mission is to encourage people to keep moving forward even when life changes unexpectedly.
I was diagnosed with MS in 2005 and instead of disappearing, I decided to build. I've written Thriving Through MS: Beyond the Doctor's Office, created a puzzle book collection designed specifically for the MS community, and grown a platform across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube where we talk about the real stuff the hard days and the thriving ones.
I'm also the founder of See Meds, a medication reminder app designed to help people stay organized and take the right medicine at the right time.
Along with advocating for chronic illness awareness, I speak openly about resilience, healing, personal growth, forgiveness, and rebuilding after difficult seasons in life.
Everything I create is centered around helping people feel seen, encouraged, and empowered to thrive through their challenges instead of being defined by them.
Because we don't ignore the hard… we just don't live there.
Still thriving…
My name is Michael when I’m in trouble, and Mike when life is good. I’m 55 years old, and for the last 20 years, I’ve managed a complex web of physical and mental health challenges, ranging from Rheumatoid Arthritis and bipolar type 2 to what I call the unwanted movie sequel: Osteoarthritis.
Pain and fatigue forced me to make health improvement my life’s priority, giving me a masterclass in navigating a broken healthcare system. But I’m not just a patient. I am a behavioral health caseworker for a major insurer, a former foster parent, and a proud dad to two adopted boys who are my ultimate reason to keep fighting.
I am stepping into this Patient Leader Certification to bridge the gap between systemic policy and human recovery. I’m currently channeling my lived and professional experience into three independent projects: The Mood Co-Op, an online recovery community of excellence; Foster Caritas, an ancillary support model focused on family reunification; and Wildtown Productions, a digital content project driving advocacy through creative design.
I have a powerful story to share, the professional background to back it up, and the drive to ensure my journey can serve as a guide for others. Peace and low stress."
