In the last few months the ABDA has brought on three new board members, and four new volunteers all with targeted expertise to help the ABDA grow and mature. Each and every new member of the ABDA have one thing in common, their devotion to bettering the experience for Behcet's patients and their loved ones. I would like to give Jack, Pamela, Levi, Emma, Quardrcios, Britt, and Sarah a very warm welcome.
"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." — John Maxwell
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https://www.vasculitisfoundation.org
"People around the globe trust us for reliable, life-saving vasculitis resources and information. Fundamental to our mission is educating and empowering the entire network of people impacted by vasculitis. Our trustworthy vasculitis information, which we provide for free for people around the globe, is backed by more than 150 medical and scientific advisors worldwide." - The VF
Link to view The ABDA x Vasculitis Foundation's most recent educational webinar for Behcet's Awareness Month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0dkKOGuNdA&feature=youtu.be
When Behcet’s Disease warrior Pamela Price was scouted for NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, she shared her health struggles for the very first time. Speaking out on social media platforms and in interviews, women and men of all ages from around the world reached out to her. Pamela saw a community within the Behcet’s warriors she was connecting with; from Ireland to Pennsylvania, Tunisia to Hawaii. Pamela was diagnosed with Behçet's disease in 2013, seven years after her first flare.
Today, Pamela is an ambassador for The American Behcet’s Disease Association and activist for the #BehcetsWarrior community, corresponding with women and men living with Behcet’s Disease around the world. In 2019, Pamela suffered one of her worst flares. A friend sent an anonymous care package in hopes of cheering her up. That package lifted her mood and energy during the darkest time. Her friend showed that she cared when Pamela had a flare… with a care package. If one package made her smile, imagine what thousands would do for people suffering from flares around the world. In 2020, Pamela launched and founded the care package community and rare disease resource program: #WeCareWhenYouFlare, operated under WE CARE WHEN INC. (WCW).
The ABDA is proud to announce we have brought on two new volunteers to build up our advocacy leg, Jack and Quardricos. Jack has nearly 30 years of health policy and advocacy experience working on patient advocacy, pharmaceutical, pharmacy, and insurance issues. Quardricos spearheads the public policy and lobbying efforts for leading health systems spanning 30 states and 2.5 billion annual discharges. Before joining The Academy Advisors, Quardricos led the advocacy efforts for the Autoimmune Association, which successfully resulted in the establishment of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR) under NIH, which was signed into the 2022 appropriations omnibus bill by President Biden. Additionally, he led an impactful career in legislative and political affairs for different health organizations, and his lobbying efforts have resulted in the drafting and passage of the Veterans’ Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research of 2023.
With the help of these two, we will be ramping up our advocacy efforts as an organization. If you are interested in learning more, please join us August 10th, 2024 for an educational Advocacy 101 webinar hosted by Jack and Quardricos.
