The NonProfit Spot: a wealth of resources and classes about how to grow your board, fundraise and make strategic decisions that will change the trajectory of your Foundation for the better. They have an excellent newsletter too.

Heather Carmona, the Managing Director (and co-founder) of NonProfit Spot is a great friend and I am honored to share all that she does. Heather and I have known each other for about 20 years, which seems impossible. Time does fly as they say. Heather’s husband Scott has CF. Scott helped build The Bonnell Foundation from the beginning as he was one of the Board of Directors.

Heather brings more than 25 years’ experience working throughout the public-private, philanthropic and nonprofit sector. She’s held executive-level positions as both Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Director and is well versed in economic and community development, education, government, social impact, and health and human services organizations. Heather oversees and supports the core branch teams with all aspects of client engagement and service delivery.

If you have a nonprofit, or want to learn more about running a nonprofit, this could be the place for you. They have classes and resources, along with a free newsletter that anyone can access. It’s also full of local jobs if you’re searching for a nonprofit job.

NPS is a women-owned and women-led LLC founded with one goal in mind to assist small to mid-sized nonprofits with fund development, governance, operations and management services. With more than 80 years of combined service our core team is based in metro-Detroit and has spent their professional and personal lives in service to the community. Since 2013, we have amassed a client roster of more than 100+ organizations ranging from small and emerging organizations with budgets under $100,000 to large regional and national nonprofits with budgets ranging upwards of $30 million. The average client we serve has an annual budget of between one and $5 million.

NPS: https://nonprofitspot.com

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I encourage everyone to attend conferences when you can. I meet the most interesting experts in the field of the nonprofit world. From scientists, to pharma, to other nonprofit execs like me. I was thrilled to meet Jenifer Waldrop. She joined the Black Women’s Health Imperative as the Executive Director of the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC) in October 2022.

The organization addresses challenges faced by rare disease patients of color. They bring together rare disease experts, health and diversity experts.

Their Vision: a world without health disparities in rare disease patients’ communities.

Mission: to address the extraordinary challenges faced by historically underrepresented rare disease patients as encompassed by social determinants of health (SDOH). Jenifer volunteers as the Professional Development Director of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) of Colorado.

Find more here: Rarediseasediversity.org

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Melissa Yeager, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Claire’s Place Foundation

Since the planning stages of Claire’s Place Foundation, Melissa has spent countless hours working for the cause and, of course, raising her two children, Claire (the foundation’s namesake) and Ellie. With many years’ experience in project management and event planning, she has the drive and the experience needed to get the foundation off the ground as well as the personal history of raising a child with cystic fibrosis. Melissa is also a strong supporter of many charities and fundraising activities in her community, mostly related to causes that support families and children living with this and other rare diseases.

Founding Claire’s Place Foundation has been a way for Melissa to give back and share her experience with other families living with cystic fibrosis. “We have always been blessed with a supportive family and a wonderful group of friends. It is my hope that we can provide the same type of support to families walking this path alone. It definitely takes a village or in this case a foundation to raise a child with a chronic, life threatening disease like cystic fibrosis”

To learn more about Claire’s Place Foundation visit: https://clairesplacefoundation.org

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Emily Schaller, 42, is a heroine with one goal in mind, to Rock CF.

A lot of laughs on this podcast with my friend Emily! She talks about her health, the Foundation, new and old legislation and what’s coming up in 2025!

Equal parts spark, wit and humor, Emily is claiming her victories against cystic fibrosis having launched the Rock CF Foundation in 2007 to heighten public awareness and raise funds to increase the quality of life for everyone with CF. Emily created and manages an internationally acclaimed line of merchandise to help fulfill the mission of Rock CF. Today, Emily’s battle against this deadly genetic disease is printed in Runner’s World, FORBES, The Atlantic and SPIN magazines, the New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR and posted on Competitor.com, Shape.com, the Associated Press, and various cystic fibrosis focused educational websites. She is a marathon runner, super teacher and a speaker, addressing parents, patients and audiences about the effects of cystic fibrosis and the ever changing and improving treatments being made. Through Emily’s humor and personal experience, she inspires the masses to transform their lives with exercise, diet and goal setting.

To get in touch with Rock CF: https://letsrockcf.org/rock-cf-half

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“Charity Care is the best kept secret in healthcare.” says Eli Rushbanks “Only 29 percent of the people who should be helped by 340B, are helped.”

If, like me, you have not heard about Charity Care or Dollar For, I am glad you’re here! This podcast will tell you about both Charity Care and the nonprofit, Dollar For. I learned about the program during a webinar by Patients Rising.

You’ll learn more about your rights regarding healthcare, and about the help that’s out there.

If you’re overwhelmed with medical bills, confused by insurance, your rights and about getting help, this podcast will be a wonderful education.

Eli Rushbanks is an attorney who works at the intersection of medical debt and consumer protection. He currently is the General Counsel and Director of Policy & Advocacy at Dollar For, a patient advocacy non-profit that helps patients apply for hospital financial assistance. In that capacity he works with patients, advocacy groups, lawyers, state and federal regulators, and hospital leaders to improve patient access to and experience with financial assistance. He helped build Dollar For from the ground up which, so far, has helped relieve over $60 million in debt for nearly 20,000 patients.

His work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR. His reports on charity care policy have been cited by the CFPB and have been the basis for class action lawsuits for charity care violations. Eli says, “Fourteen percent of people who applied to a hospital for Charity Care, never heard back from the hospital. There is not uniformity on how these programs are run.”

Terry Wilcox is the Chief Mission Officer with Patients Rising. Terry says that 340B sounds like a tax form, not something that patients know about. It’s not just to help patients, it’s to help hospitals too. But there has been some misuse of the program, “Expanded from 4 billion between 2000 and 2009, then the A.C.A codified the fact that they could expand, it ballooned to 66 billion dollars. And hospitals now have beautiful wings in their hospitals.”

The 340B Drug Pricing program was implemented by Congress in 1992 and it allows hospitals to purchase drugs at significant discounts to serve vulnerable populations. The program was originally added so that hospitals could treat underserved communities and help them stretch their resources.

To learn more about Dollar For: https://dollarfor.org
To learn more about Patients Rising: https://www.patientsrising.org/event/midday-masterclass-340b-in-focus-history-impacts-and-state-level-realities/

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Are titles important? As a rare disease parent, we think you’re worthy of a Ph.D. Listen to our fun conversation about all things rare and the much needed title we may need (or not) to get things done.

As a reminder, Beth Vanstone is the mother of two daughters, one who has CF. Madi is 23 years old. Beth is a huge advocate in Canada, and much of the progress made in the rare disease space is thanks to her efforts.

Laura Bonnell and Beth Vanstone have been advocating a total of more than 50 years combined, and they’re not done yet. They need your help, on any scale that works for you (small or large).

Please like, subscribe, and comment on our podcasts!

Please consider making a donation: https://thebonnellfoundation.org/donate/
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What is a Private Patient Advocate? Do you need one?

Laura talks to Dr. Elena Borrelli who is a Doctor of Medical Science and a Board-Certified Patient Advocate who helps people and families with their health care journey. She practices in Shelby Township, Michigan. Dr. Borelli manages their healthcare as she tries to help them live their healthiest life. She focuses on people diagnosed with cancer and rare disorders.

Dr. Borrelli has worked in healthcare for over 25 years. Apart from her experiences in professional practice, she has encountered frustration and discrepancies while personally navigating the healthcare system. She has been the provider, the patient, the daughter, the sister, and the parent facing the overwhelming healthcare system; and left feeling alone and confused.

Her passion is to help patients navigate the chaotic healthcare system. No one should have to do it alone.

Getting a second opinion is often a good idea or enrolling in a clinical trial. Dr. Borelli research best management options for undiagnosed or chronic disease patients, as well related insurance/billing issues. Which we can all relate to!

Dr. Borelli can also assist if you’re admitted to a hospital or rehab facility, and she communicates with the healthcare team and helps reduce medical errors.

How to get a hold of Dr. Borelli: advocate@pathwaypa.com
To hear her podcasts: https://pathwaypa.com/podcast/

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Dylan Mortimer did the NYC Marathon. If you know him, you know that he had two double lung transplants. One in 2017 and one two years later in 2019.

His second transplant was in NYC and Dylan talks about what it was like to go back to the streets he could barely walk, pre-transplant. It so touching as Dylan chairs his story with us. I appreciate all the ways Dylan continues to inspire our CF Community. Our last question is: will he do another one? What do you think he might say? Also, I bet we might see some of his well-known glittery artwork featuring some running in the future. We can only hope!

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Patient rights: do you know about the rights you have in regard to healthcare? There is a lot of information for you that Sara and Thayer serve to you here, in terms you can understand. They both work for the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, or PIPC (a coalition).

Sara Traigle van Geertruyden is the Executive Director at PIPC. Thayer Roberts is the Deputy Director. Sara, an attorney, joined PIPC in 2011 and serves at the firm, Thom Run Partners. Sara focuses policies to advance a patient centered health system, from patient engagement in research to driving outcomes that matter to patients in healthcare payment and delivery. Sara is a healthcare and welfare policy expert with over 25 years of experience, beginning her career on Capitol Hill working for former Senator John Breaux (D-LA) from 1996-2003, and later as an attorney at the law firm Patton Boggs. Thayer joined PIPC in 2019. Thayer works with PIPC’s diverse membership of patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and other groups to ensure that patient centricity is at the core of the nation’s health care system. Thayer has expertise in health care value assessments and their implications on patients and people with disabilities and continues to engage in this topic both at the Federal and State level.

Chair of PIPC: (From their website) Tony Coelho is a former United States congressman from California, and primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tony was elected to Congress in 1978 and served for six terms until 1989. He served on the Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs, and Administration Committees during his tenure, specializing in disabled rights. In 1986, Tony was elected House Majority Whip. As the chief vote counter for his party, Tony oversaw a series of Democratic victories in the House on measures ranging from the budget to cutting off funds for the war in Central America. Tony was the original author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. By 1994, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that some 800,000 more people with severe disabilities had found employment than were employed when the bill was first enacted. Tony currently serves as the DNC Disability Council Chair, seeking to ensure that the political process is accessible to people with disabilities. President Bill Clinton appointed Tony to serve as Chairman of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a position he held from 1994 to 2001. He also served as Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. In 1998, Clinton appointed Tony as the United States Commissioner General at the 1998 World Expo in Portugal. Clinton also appointed Tony as Co-Chair to the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, a position he held until his appointment as general chairman of the Gore presidential campaign.

Sara and PIPC work with nonprofit organizations, like The Bonnell Foundation to help us to understand and keep track of all the legislation on the books, and coming down the pipeline.

To contact PIPC go to: https://www.pipcpatients.org
To find PIPC on social media check them out at: @PIPCpatients (on twitter and LinkedIn)
Another resource Sara and Thayer suggest: https://www.patientaccessproject.org

Acronym’s used during this podcast:
Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB)
Rare Disease Advisory Council (RDAC)
National Association for State Health Policy (NASHP)
Institute for Economic and Clinical Review (ICER)
Equal Value of Life Year Gained (EVLYG)
HR 485 Protecting Healthcare for all Patients Act Read it here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/485

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We’re in Canada for this podcast. Canadian Advocate Beth Vanstone has two daughters, one with CF and she’s hosting this podcast with Laura Bonnell.

Beth is introducing us to 32-year-old To Touraj Dehghan Manshadi who has a CF mutation that is common to Iran, but rare in Canada where he lives. You may be surprised to learn Canada does not have a rare disease strategy. We know American’s thinking that medically everything is better in Canada, but that’s not true. Many countries around the globe are struggling with the high cost of drugs for Rare Diseases, Canada is no exception. However, while we see industrialized countries around world looking at solutions to get rare therapies to patients quickly in an effort to maintain, improve and save lives, Canada remains stuck relying on a drug system designed to handle aspirin. Canada is the only country in the G7 without a national approach to rare diseases.

In February 2023 the Federal government announced a Rare Disease Drug Strategy with a 1.4 billion budget over three years to support it. The expectation was that drugs for rare diseases would have a quicker pathway and that it would address the specific challenges of the rare community and fill some of the many gaps to access. Sadly, that has not been the case thus far.

Beth says, “There are a lot of challenges for patients, it’s very timely, there are a lot of gaps that will potentially harm patients.” Touraj is one of the patients falling through the gaps.

Touraj says his FEV1 is 35 percent, which means he is potentially looking at a double lung transplant. “It is shocking that in the next two to three years I might be getting to the point of needing a transplant. We’re sad about it. My girlfriend is sadder about it than I am right now. I think of it as more of a reality.” The hope would be access to a drug, despite his rare mutation, but the ability to try it.

To connect with Touraj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tojyla/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/touraj.dehghan/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/touraj-manshadi

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I always tell this group of undergrad students that they are our future, and that makes the future look bright.

Atef Choudhury and Naim Mashni are incredible people and students. They’re both Seniors at Lyman Briggs College — majoring in Human Biology. They’re minor is in business and they’re on the pre- med track. Atef and Naim are the co-founders and Co-Presidents of Cure Found MSU .

Atef’s connection to CF is his nephew. He was born with the disease in 2017. Watching his nephew grow up with CF, seeing him do treatments, it inspired him to become a doctor. His passion for making a difference in the CF world Brought him to creating, with Naim, Cure Found MSU. The Bonnell Foundation is very lucky because Cure Found MSU continues to raise funds for our non profit.

You’re going to meet Bhumika Kale too. She’s the University of Michigan, where she is a sophomore pursuing a major in Public Health while following the pre-medical track. As the Co-President of the University’s chapter of Cure Found, a club dedicated to raising awareness and support for Cystic Fibrosis patients.

Her journey into the medical field began in high school, where she actively participated in various pre-med clubs and volunteered in healthcare settings. This hands-on experience, along with a year of working as a medical assistant, solidified her desire to pursue a career in medicine.

To get a hold of either of these organizations reach out here:
https://curefoundmsu.org
Atef Choudhury, Cure Found MSU: atefc@msu.edu
Naim Mashni, Cure Found MSU: mashnin1@msu.edu
Bhumika Kale, Cure Found UM: curefound@umich.edu

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From news reporting, to CF and beyond. Laura talks about her journey.

The Bonnell Foundation: Living with cystic fibrosis is 14 years old. “I was so hopeful all those years ago that my Foundation would take off, and now look at it! We have helped CF families from Michigan to California with financial assistance, lung transplant grants and Education Scholarships. Our programs have also grown, with more on the way. We’re so glad you’re a part of it”.

To reach Laura: thebonnellfoundation@gmail.com

Or follow us on social media (see below)
Please like, subscribe, and comment on our podcasts!
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We discuss suicide in this podcast. This could be a trigger for some for you. Please remember the National Suicide Hotline can be reached via text or by calling 988.

Sorcha Slyvester-Martin from diagnosis to drugs and discovery. When she was three days old, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. She says she had several near-death experiences. Her Grandmother, her legal guardian raised Sorcha and was her rock.

Then, after her grandmother died, she struggled. Sorcha started using drugs to numb herself from the struggles of her physical and mental illnesses. This went on for about two years.

Then she focused on getting healthy. Today, she relies on movement, nutrition, and self-care to stay present and optimize her quality of life. She’s passionate about raising awareness about addiction and holistic treatment of health of wellness among the chronic illness community. She is also a certified health and wellness coach. Sorcha works with an organization called, Face it Together. A nonprofit that helps others impacted by addiction to get well.

To find out more about what Sorcha does, check out this website: https://www.wefaceittogether.org/
Sorcha’s Instagram @sorchamtnmary
Business FB: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether

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In this podcast you’ll meet my brother Noah Teicher, and my nephew Colton Teicher. I have two younger brothers, but my brother Noah (the middle child) has two boys who had a rare disease. And we talk about their journey from having a rare disease to being cured. Noah and Colton talk about their journey with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA). Rick Lofgren has been the non profits president for more than two decades. Rick helps raise millions each year to support families with the cost for transplantation. In addition to all he does, Rick is married with kids of his own.

I learned about Rick, from my brother. My nephews Colton and Caden had a rare disease called Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD). CGD is passed down through the mother, only to sons, not daughters. CGD causes frequent and life-threatening infections because their immune system can’t fight off certain harmful bacteria and fungi. My nephew’s mother is the carrier. Women do are only carriers of the genetic disease, only boys have the genetic disease. The great news: there is a cure. Both my nephews were cured.

About my brother and nephew. Noah works for Abbott Laboratories as a district manager across several states and has three kids, and a stepson wife his wife Lisa. My nephew Colton is a Patient Care Coordinator at a specialty Pharmacy in Detroit. Colton is an advocate for his disease and the rare community.

This is a reminder that it’s good to share information because after my brother told me about COTA, I connected with Rick at COTA. The Bonnell Foundation and COTA are now partners helping people who need funds for transplants, and all that it entails.

Colton will be post transplant for three years on September 3rd, 2021

Caden will be post transplant on December 16th, 2022

To connect with Colton: coltonteicher@yahoo.com

To connect with Noah: noahteicher@yahoo.com

For information about COTA: https://cota.org/get-started/

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Diane Shader Smith’s daughter Mallory died from complications of cystic fibrosis 6 years ago. She was 25 years old. Diane initially published her daughter’s diary, “Salt in My Soul”. This book gave insight into how Mallory was feeling during her CF fight. Her deepest thoughts and life lessons.

Diane Shader Smith is now releasing a second book on behalf of her daughter, “Diary of a dying Girl”.

The title honestly may sound depressing, but as Diane explains, it is a wakeup call about our public health crisis and is an empowering story. Mallory’s writing is so beautiful. And I can tell you, you won’t be sad reading her book, you’ll be inspired. In this podcast Diane explains that it’s our job to raise awareness about Phage Therapy, and about the dangers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Something that everyone should become educated about, whether CF is your disease space, or not.

You can buy Mallory’s book here: https://diaryofadyinggirl.com All the money goes to AMR research through Mallory’s Legacy Fund.

You can also sign up, and tell your story at the Global AMR Diary: https://www.globalamrdiary.org

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Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS): Have you heard of it? In the simplest terms, it is defined by the need for specialty care required for your child. It’s not a Medicaid program. Access to the program has nothing to do with your household income.

The program has a lot of benefits. CSHCS covers transportation that can include airfare and/or lodging for conferences related to your child’s condition. Children Special Health Care Services has been around for almost 100 years.

Danielle Pitchford, with CSHCS is explains the program to us in great detail. Pitchford is the Outreach and Engagement Analyst and oversees promoting CSHCS services and resources while engaging with providers. She also works with other professionals who work with the target population, as well as families of children with special health care needs.

To be transparent, Laura sits on the Michigan BioTrust for Health Community Values Advisory Board, which is part of MI DHHS. She also sits on a Family to Family volunteer group. And, her daughters benefited from CSHCS until they moved out of state.

CSHCS website: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/cshcs/general-information-for-families-about-cshcs
To learn more about CSHCS, take the free https://courses.mihealth.org/PUBLIC/home.html entitled “What is Children’s Special Health Care Services.” At this same site you will find another course entitled “CSHCS-Support Parent Training Course.”
Call CSHCS Family Phone Line at 1-800-359-3722.
Send an email to: cshcsfc@michigan.gov

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Shortly after we did this podcast Matt died from complications of cystic fibrosis. With permission from his sisters, and dear friend Jennifer Bleecher (featured in this podcast) we are now airing this podcast to shine a light about what a great man Matt was. He speaks in this podcast about concern for his health. Thanks to Jenn, his family and to Matt for all he gave to the world and especially the CF community. You are missed and will never be forgotten.

From his sisters Molly McBryan and Ame Austin:

“After an extremely long hard fought battle with cystic fibrosis, Matt McCloskey succumbed to this terrible disease on February 7th, 2024. He was a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. He will be remembered for a lot of things; one of which was his passion for the Take A Breather foundation in which he started.

The concept of Take A Breather started for Matt in 2012, when his own health battle with CF really took a turn. Knowing first hand what it is like to live with this disease, it was his dream and vision to offer families living with cystic fibrosis, a temporary escape, a breather, from the everyday struggles and emotional burdens of their disease. Matt put his heart and soul into this Foundation and is truly what drove him despite his own health issues. Because of Matt, thousands of lives have been forever impacted due to his selflessness of wanting to bring joy to so many living with CF. He worked tirelessly and countless hours for the Take A Breather Foundation and the CF community. Throughout the years, we heard from many recipients/families the huge impact Matt’s mission had on their lives but we know there were countless others whom we did not hear from because he also worked quietly behind the scenes to motivate, answer questions, or just listen. There are no words to express the profound impact this loss will have on all those who knew and loved him and to the CF community.”

This was written prior to his passing:

Matt and Jen have a great story to tell. Two people with CF, living their separate lives, and then they began working together to make a difference in the lives of people with CF. Matt McCloskey was born in 1968 and grew up in Philadelphia, he has several other siblings, and one he never met because he died from CF at 2 months old.

In 2015 Matt received a lung transplant. Matt’s in his 50’s now, but his life expectancy was 6 years old. He is currently running the Take A Breather Foundation. Jen Bleecher, who is 52 years old, is the Community Outreach Volunteer for Take a Breather. Jen is married, and has a 27-year-old daughter . Jen worked as a nurse for over 20 years. Jen had a double lung transplant, she has pivoted to volunteering some of her time helping with the Community Outreach initiatives, such as building relationships within the CF and broader communities, assisting in planning of fundraising events, and overseeing Take A Breather’s School Club program.

To contact Matt and Jen: https://takeabreatherfromcf.org

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As people with cystic fibrosis live longer, with a life expectancy currently at about 56 years old, many women with CF will be going through menopause. I recently spoke to doctors at a hospital gathering, and recommended they speak to women with CF about menopause. They agreed. It’s time.

There is so little discussion and education about women and menopause in general. I recently listened to a podcast by Mel Robbins about menopause, and then saw menopause activist Ellen Dolgen on CBS News Sunday Morning, and reached out to her.

Dolgen is a best-selling author, speaker and Creator of Fearless Vagina – A Crash Course in Mastering Menopause. Her frankness in this podcast is delightful. It’s All About Empowerment: My motto is: “Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN!” Let’s shatter the stigma surrounding menopause and support one another. She offers an online course for women in all stages of menopause which I highly recommend and have signed up for.

To sign up for her programs, and read all about her: EllenDolgen.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/menopause_mondays/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MenopauseMondays
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellendolgen/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fellendolgen.com%2F
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@menopausemondays?
X: https://twitter.com/EllenDolgen

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Dr. Caleb Bupp. In my opinion. A scientific star. He is a most humble human, but has every right to brag, but he never would. I do believe he’s a genius. You will love this podcast. We talk about rare disease, his family and how he discovered and helped families who had no rare disease answers, until they met him! An absolute scientific rock star. I met Dr. Bupp at a MichiBio event that introduced legislators, advocates and doctors to one another. One of the best events I have attended and now I can follow Dr. Bupp and watch him change the medical world.

Here are his stats: Caleb Bupp, MD, FACMG – Division Chief, Medical Genetics and Genomics. Dr. Caleb Bupp is a pediatric trained, board-certified medical geneticist with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He serves as the Division Chief of Medical Genetics and Genomics. He is also an assistant professor at Michigan State University.

He co-discovered a treatable genetic syndrome caused by ODC1 mutations now termed Bachmann-Bupp syndrome and is the clinical director of the International Center for Polyamine Disorders. This was recently recognized by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association as their ‘Inventor of the Year’ for his patent related to this condition. He helped create and run Project Baby Deer, a statewide initiative to provide access to rapid whole genome sequencing which resulted in Michigan Medicaid being the first to create an approval and carve-out payment policy. Dr. Bupp helped form the Rare Disease Network which provides support and education throughout Michigan.

Dr. Bupp received his Bachelor of Science in molecular biology from Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine in Ohio. He completed pediatrics residency at the University of Louisville in Kentucky and his medical genetics training at the Greenwood Genetic Center in South Carolina.

Cheers to science and innovation.

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Cambrey Vasconez White is the mother of toddler Rowland, who has Cystic Fibrosis. If you listened to our podcast with Vicky Maldonado, they have similar struggles. Cambrey is also working to find an equitable approach to rare mutations in the U.S. and Canada. These two women connected, as you’ll hear, because their sons share the same mutation.

Rowland received access to a CF modulator after a battle with her insurance company. Her son’s mutation is not on the FDA approved list for Trikafta…even though there is proof that Trikafta will work on her son’s mutation.

To follow Cambrey go to @cfadvocacy
You can email her: cambreywhite@gmail.com

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Did you know most states have programs for CF families, and they don’t have to do with your income? Michigan has one of the best programs in the Country. It’s called Children’s Special Healthcare and acts as a secondary insurance to pediatric and adult patients. Brandi Berry tells us all about it.

Brandi Berry, LLMSW is the Program Coordinator of the Kent County Children’s Special Health Care Services Program, Fetal Infant Mortality Review and the Healing Through Grieving: Pregnancy, Infant, Child Loss Program, all of the Kent County Health Department.

Brandi has over 20 years of experience in the field of Child Welfare and Human Services. She is also a Full Spectrum Doula and as well as an Adjunct Professor with the Grand Valley State University School of Social Work. Brandi is the mother of three children, the oldest of which has rare disease, EOE. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her children.

To find out more about Children’s Special Health Care Services program: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/cshcs/the-family-center-for-children-and-youth-with-special-health-care-needs-family-center

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A new CF modulator could be on the horizon. Professor Dr. Bhanu Jena is exciting to tell us all about it.

Dr. Jena was born in a small town in Odisha, India. He got his love for science and medicine from his father and grandfather. He majored in Chemistry, Zoology, and Botany at BJB College in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. He got his masters in zoology. He received the Peasant Ku. Memorial Prize and the Utkal University Gold Medal. He also got his doctorate in zoology (Molecular Endocrinology). His resume is lengthy and impressive. He was a fellow at Yale Univeristy of Medicine and worked as on the faculty there. He also worked in the Department of Physiology at Wayne State Univeristy. Dr. Jena was conferred the title of Distinguished Professor, and the George E. Palade University Professorship by the Board of Governors at Wayne State.

Dr. Jena is a cell biologist and chemist. He unraveled understanding of cell secretion with his pioneering discovery of the ‘porosome’, the secretory machinery in cells.

His company website: https://www.porosome.com
A great porosome video, and a short one, explaining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y0Hset6gNw

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Approximately 10 percent of the CF population is waiting for a CF modulator drug that will help them by correcting the underlying condition of their disease. Current modulator drugs help more common CF mutations. Emily Kramer Golinkoff is one of the people who doesn’t have a CF modulator that will help her. Her Foundation, Emily’s Entourage, is a leader in research. They are focusing on people with CF who have the nonsense mutation.

On Emily’s team is Dr. Chandra Ghose, who is the Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Ghose founded Bioharmony Therapeutics, an early stage biotech startup that specialized in the development of novel antimicrobials, to combat drug resistant bacterial infections.

Chandra spent 8 years at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center where she focused her research on developing life saving vaccines in the laboratory of Dr. David Ho. Chandra earned her PhD from New York University School of Medicine in microbiology and her bachelors degree from Saint Louis University in biology and theology, splitting her time between the U.S. and Spain campuses.

For more information about Emily’s Entourage: https://www.emilysentourage.org
For registry information: https://www.emilysentourage.org/cystic-fibrosis-patient-registry/
For Emily’s Entourage information: https://www.emilysentourage.org/eeupdates/
Follow EE at: @emilysentourage

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Living legends. One of them is Dr. Mitch Drumm. He was part of the team with Dr. Francis Collins who discovered the gene that cause CF. They were all at the University of Michigan. You’ll hear the connection Laura and Mitch have, and they didn’t know it until this podcast! Dr. Drumm is a living CF hero.

Dr. Drumm earned his doctoral degree while in a lab with Dr. Francis Collins, the former director of the NIH and at that time, in 1989 the pair co-discovered the gene that causes CF.

The discovery of the gene that causes CF was one of the biggest contributions to science, and even though science didn’t move as fast as we wanted in 1989 when this gene was discovered, it still moved pretty fast…look where we are today with a modulator drug that corrects the underlying condition of CF, and more possibilities in the pipeline.

Dr. Mitch Drumm is one of those scientific hero’s. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genome sciences, vice chair of translational research, director of the Research Institute for Children’s Health and is at the CF Clinic at Case Western Reserve University.

Because of the successes in cystic fibrosis, Dr. Drumm brought together faculty from across the Case Western Reserve University campus in 2015 to form The Research Institute for Children’s Health. This institute was launched to implement laboratory-to-clinic research programs for other rare, genetic disorders, patterned after the CF approach. Dr. Drumm currently serves as the Institute’s director, using it as infrastructure for rare disease research, but also as a platform for community outreach.

His current research in CF focuses on gene editing approaches to therapy and he has active programs to understand altered metabolism in CF, problems of CF intestines, and how genes that modify CF disease severity convey their effects.

Dr. Drumm also coordinates the Ohio Valley CF Consortium every year.

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Do you know what is needed before you have a lung transplant? Or even how it works? More and more adult CF clinics are explaining the details to adult patients, but if you’re a CF parent, there is a lot you may not know.

We welcome Dr. Ryan Hadley. Dr. Hadley is at Corewell health in Grand Rapids. He is an assistant Profession of Medicine in pulmonary and Critical care. He is a published author and researcher some of his academic appointments include Core Faculty with Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship and MSU, assistant professor in the pulmonary and critical care.

His resume is beautifully long. Here are some of his publications:

“Acellular Normal and Fibrotic Human Lung Matrices as a Culture System for In Vitro Investigation”
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nov 1 2012, 186(9) 866-876.
Adam J. Booth, Ryan Hadley, Ashley M. Cornett, Alyssa A. Dreffs, Stephanie A. Matthes, Jessica L. Tsui, Kevin Weiss, Jeffery C. Horowitz, Vincent F. Fiore, Thomas H. Barker, Bethany B. Moore, Fernando J. Martinez, Laura E. Niklason, and Eric S. White

“Idiopathic Non-specific Interstitial Pneumonia”
Respirology. 2016 Feb;21(2):259-68.
Elizabeth Belloli, Rosemary Beckford, Ryan Hadley, Kevin Flaherty

“Critically Ill Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease”
Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2015Sep;36(3):497-510.
Ryan Hadley, Robert Hyzy

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Everyone always asks me “What does it take to run a Foundation?” So I thought I would explain some of the different aspects of funny and challenging parts of running a Foundation.

Please join me with my friend Beth Vanstone who asks me all sorts of questions about what running a Foundation is all about!

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He’s been arrested. He’s CIS gender with a wife and kids. Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is also an orthodox Jew’is and he is one of the biggest supporters of the queer community. Rabbi Moskowitz is the Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue. He is a deeply traditional and radically progressive advocate for trans rights and a vocal ally for LGBTQ inclusivity.

Rabbi Moskowitz received three Ultra-Orthodox ordinations while learning in the Mir in Jerusalem and BMG in Lakewood, NJ. He is a Wexner Field Fellow, Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Hartman Institute, and the author of Textual Activism, Graceful Masculinity, and Seasonal Resistance. His newest book, Covenantal Allyship, will be available this year. Rabbi Moskowitz’s writings can be found at www.rabbimikemoskowitz.com

We met in person at Temple shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. Rabbi Moskowitz was speaking at the synagogue and wishing to always be an ally for the Queer community, I went. The CF community, every community, has a queer population and that’s why I felt it was important to talk about this.

To reach Rabbi Mike Moskowitz www.cbst.org
To learn more about him and to order his books https://www.rabbimikemoskowitz.com

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We’re going to Brazil for this podcast. Brazil is famous for some soccer players; you remember Pele and others. It’s the largest country in South America, it has 4 times zones…60 percent of the amazon rainforest is in Brazil, their flag has 27 stars on it and they speak Portuguese there. And the food looks amazing there.

I have never been to Brazil, but Gabriel Johnson was born and raised there! Gabriel is the Projects and Institutional Relations Coordinator at Unidos pela Vida – Brazilian Institute of Cystic Fibrosis Care, has worked for nonprofits for the last 8 years. He graduated in journalism and marketing. Gabriel has MBAs in Digital Marketing and Project Management and is currently a master’s student in Communication Sciences at the University of Porto, Portugal.

Gabriel is a patient advocate for people with cystic fibrosis and rare diseases in Brazil. He’s been doing this for the past two years….and he’s only 31 years old! To learn more about CF in Brazil visit the Unidos pela Vida website (Vernonica Stasiak’s Organization and where Gabriel works). www.unidospelavida.org.br

Thank you to Beth Vanstone for producing this podcast. Beth is a CF advocate in Canada. Her daughter Madi has CF. She can be reached at: beth@thebonnellfoundation.org

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So many people with cystic fibrosis have gut pain. It is often times, debilitating. Dr. Matthew DiMagno and Dr. Jorge Machicado are working to find answers to the suffering of people with CF, and others without. Dr. Machicado is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Machicado earned his medical degree from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, and received a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Machicado’s research focuses on epidemiology and clinical trials in pancreatic disorders. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles, most of them on pancreatitis and pancreatic cysts. He has been recently selected as a FORWARD scholar by the American Gastroenterological Association, which aims to support physician scientists and future leaders in GI from under-represented populations. The Bonnell Foundation gave Dr. Machicado and his team a five thousand dollar grant to help study gut pain in people with CF. It’s a long pilot program, similar to a clinical trial. This is a feasibility study.

To get a hold of Dr. Machicado for this study: machicad@med.umich.edu

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