Claire Forsythe

I went from athletic and high achieving to exhausted. I'd never had allergies, and now I carry an Epipen. My diagnoses changed my life in many ways, but most significantly, I've developed a strong passion for advocacy that now guides me through each day.

Advocacy is what got me to where I am now. If I hadn't learned how to be an advocate, I may never have found my diagnoses. Having a diagnosis has altered my perspective on my conditions, even if there is no cure, but I had to fight for it. Now, I can tether a name to a symptom, and I finally have more answers than questions. I can tailor my treatments, lifestyle, and day-to-day to alleviate symptoms with greater knowledge, and I can finally get the medical accommodations I need to be successful. The validation of knowing I was right - what I feel is real, and none of it is in my head - is a huge weight off my shoulders. In sum, advocating for myself gave me my life back.

With the challenges I faced and the power of self-advocacy at the forefront of my mind, I dove into research. Once I understood the scale of patients like myself who face barriers to care, accurate diagnoses, and treatment, I knew I wanted to pursue advocacy as a career. Some patients that come for treatment at their most vulnerable, feeling overwhelmed, confused, or afraid; still, they face dismissal and struggle for the attentiveness and respect that they deserve. This is especially common with invisible chronic conditions. Clearly, medical training needs an update.

Healthcare should be available to those who need it, independent of illness type, geography, cost, gender, or other social barriers. Addressing these gaps requires that advocates stand up, tell these stories, and demand legal and policy solutions to improve affordability, expand access, remove systemic bias and barriers, and hold health systems and leaders accountable for providing equitable care. Every single voice matters. This is the whole point of civic engagement, democracy, and governing for the people, by the people.

I advocate so fewer people face what I faced. I now hold a Master of Legal Studies, which equips me with the skills needed to expand my reach, and I intend to go to law school so I can make a bigger impact.