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!
When you become the 1 in 4 per WHO that has a stroke, you'll want 100% recovery; which doesn't exist now. Join me in influencing researchers and stroke associations to solve that goal. I'm 20 years out and nothing seems to influence that medical community.
Hi, I'm Maria, and I help people with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) feel better about the skin they're in. I've been nicknamed The OG of Hyperhidrosis Advocacy, a title I sweat through with pride.
I ruined worksheets with my sweaty hands in elementary school. I dreaded typing class and refused to play an instrument in band in middle school. In high school, I was afraid to raise my pom poms while cheering at football games, petrified someone would discover my sweaty secret.
In college I discovered that hyperhidrosis is a medical condition. From there I dug into the research and tried just about every treatment option to stop my sweating. My turning point came after I was a patient volunteer at a dermatology symposium; that was the first time in my life I felt truly seen and didn't have to apologize for my sweaty body.
I left the symposium that day thinking maybe others would want to hear my story. Maybe I could help them in some way. Fast forward 15 years, and I've made wonderful connections with hyperhidrosis patients from all over the world. They are so much more than their diagnosis.
I still sweat, but I'm strong. My mission is to create hyperhidrosis hope and awareness one drop at a time. You can find me at www.MyLifeAsAPuddle.com
Hi, everyone, my name is Michael Padjen. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2017, when I was 59, just one year into running my own small business, which I had to shut down because of the physical impact of the disease.
There is no doubt my world changed dramatically when seven of my vertebrae collapsed, three ribs broke during the initial six weeks, and three more vertebrae collapsed about six months later. At that point, I was told I might never walk upright again without a thoracic brace. That was also when I met my reluctant service dog, Fynn (Find Your New Normal), forming the idea for my first book.
Since recovering from my spine surgeries and stem cell transplant, I have been an advocate for those with blood cancers, especially MM, through coaching newly diagnosed patients, writing blogs, and starting a non-profit to bring attention to the struggles of immunocompromised individuals.
My coaching focuses on helping newly diagnosed MM patients navigate and confront their new challenges with grace and determination, showing them what is still possible in their lives and helping them not accept the limits others try to impose.
Since being told what wasn’t possible in my case, I have walked nearly 12,000 miles without a brace, have started practicing Tai Chi and playing golf again, have just finished writing my fourth book, and travel with my wife as much as my body will let me.
My bones may ache, but my soul is still willing.
Hi, my name is Amy and I am the epitome of ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’. My world was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension back in March of 2023. I had to take a step back from my career as a hairdresser and learn to navigate life with a rare, progressive disease. At that time, I was attached to a pump 24/7 and mixed my own medication daily. I have since transitioned off the pump, but life still looks different. In September of 2024 I was just starting to settle into my new normal when I heard those 3 words no one wants to hear, “you have cancer”. I was diagnosed with stage 2, triple-positive breast cancer at the age of 36. I am now navigating life after cancer, medical induced menopause and learning to trust the body that has betrayed me not once, but twice. Sharing my story online has helped turn my pain into purpose. I make it my mission to share what it means to navigate a chronic illness and cancer with courage, humor and grit. Advocacy, for me, means empowerment, and reminding every person that their voice – and their body – matters.
