How often do you get to ask an expert a question about something that matters deeply to you and get an answer right away? Not very often I’m guessing. That’s why CIRM’s Facebook Live “Ask the Stem Cell Team About Patient Advocacy” gives you a chance to do just that this Thursday, March 14th from noon till 1pm PST.

We have three amazing individuals who will share their experiences, their expertise and advice as Patient Advocates, and answer your questions about how to be an effective advocate for your cause.

The three are:

Gigi McMillan became a Patient Advocate when her 5-year-old son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. That led her to helping develop support systems for families going through the same ordeal, to help researchers develop appropriate consent processes and to campaign for the rights of children and their families in research.

Adrienne Shapiro comes from a family with a long history of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and has fought to help people with SCD have access to compassionate care. She is the co-founder of Axis Advocacy, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about SCD and support for those with it. In addition she is now on the FDA’s Patient Engagement Collaborative, a new group helping the FDA ensure the voice of the patient is heard at the highest levels.

David Higgins is a CIRM Board member and a Patient Advocate for Parkinson’s Disease. David has a family history of the disease and in 2011 was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. As a scientist and advocate he has championed research into the disease and worked to raise greater awareness about the needs of people with Parkinson’s.

Also, make sure to “like” our FaceBook page before the event to receive a notification when we’ve gone live for this and future events. If you miss the broadcast, not to worry. We’ll be posting it on our Facebook video page, our website, and YouTube channel shortly afterwards.

We want to answer your most pressing questions, so please email them directly to us beforehand at info@cirm.ca.gov.

And, of course, feel free to share this information with anyone you think might be interested.