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!
My name is Cristian Rojas, and I’m a mental health advocate, educator, and someone who has learned to build a meaningful life while living with serious mental health challenges.
My journey changed in 2016 when I experienced my first psychotic episode and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At the time, I was told that finishing college might not be possible and that my life could be very limited. But I refused to let a diagnosis write the rest of my story.
My journey hasn’t been perfect. I’ve experienced setbacks, additional episodes, anxiety, depression, and moments when I had to start over. But I also graduated from college, became an educator, traveled, served others, and began sharing my story openly online.
Today, I use my experiences to advocate for people living with schizophrenia and other mental health conditions, while also supporting the families who love them. I want to challenge stigma and show that recovery doesn’t mean having a perfect life. It means continuing to build a life with purpose, hope, and second chances.I'm Hope and I have Myasthenia gravis and Graves disease along with other assorted conditions. I'm here to help and advocate as well as learn because even though I've had 28 years with my rare, invisible, autoimmune illnesses there is so much value in the different and shared experience I have with others like myself.
Hello, my name is Ana Nevárez, and I am from Mexico.
Since I was very young, life has brought me many challenges, different kinds of pain, and health problems. At 25, when my symptoms became much more severe, I was diagnosed with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, my first rare disease. By then, there was no longer time for conservative treatment. The surgeries that saved my life have also placed me in extremely high-risk situations.
Today, I live with several vascular compression syndromes and more than ten associated comorbidities. The symptoms and challenges continue to grow, making every day a constant battle.
After understanding my diagnoses and the risks I face, I decided to transform this experience into a purpose. I am currently building the Organization for Vascular Compression Syndromes in Mexico, and I also participate in organizations, associations, and patient communities around the world.
I have learned that faith and resilience are our greatest allies. Accepting our vulnerabilities does not make us weak; it makes us human. I want to help create a more compassionate world, where no life is too rare to matter, and everyone has a place in society.Hello, my name is Ana, and I am from Mexico.
Since I was very young, life has brought me many challenges, different kinds of pain, and health problems. At 25, when my symptoms became much more severe, I was diagnosed with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, my first rare disease. By then, there was no longer time for conservative treatment. The surgeries that saved my life have also placed me in extremely high-risk situations.
Today, I live with several vascular compression syndromes and more than ten associated comorbidities. The symptoms and challenges continue to grow, making every day a constant battle.
After understanding my diagnoses and the risks I face, I decided to transform this experience into a purpose. I am currently building the Organization for Vascular Compression Syndromes in Mexico, and I also participate in organizations, associations, and patient communities around the world.
I have learned that faith and resilience are our greatest allies. Accepting our vulnerabilities does not make us weak; it makes us human. I want to help create a more compassionate world, where no life is too rare to matter, and everyone has a place in society.
