Being diagnosed with a rare disease like PI can be intimidating, as well as confusing. Hear from panelists, Nicole Rochester, MD, Mary Hintermeyer, APNP, and Brian Rath, JD as they review some important questions and information that you should use when discussing your diagnosis concerns with your healthcare provider. This session was originally presented as an IDF Forum.

For those living with rare diseases, such as PI, it is important to have a strong voice in state government and advise policymakers on critical issues related to access, coverage, and the diseases themselves. Many state policymakers are unaware of the challenges the rare disease community faces. To help bridge these gaps in knowledge, Rare Disease Advisory Councils or RDACs are created. RDACs serve as an advising body and liaison between the rare disease community and state governments. With us today to discuss their work with RDACs in their state is a panel of IDF advocates: Jessica Goddard and Rachel Goddard from South Carolina, and Marian Furst from Utah.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in science, technology, engineering, math fields (otherwise known as STEM), is projected to grow twice as fast in the next decade as for all occupations. Even so, a recent Pew Center study reported that only 7% of recent graduates in STEM fields were Black students. In today's episode, we will be talking with two experts, Dr. Nicole Rochester and Alexis Mobley, to help us gain a better understanding of how to address these concerns and why it matters.

Chronic Granulomatous Disease or CGD, one of the rare forms of primary immunodeficiency, causes an increased susceptibility to infections caused by certain bacteria and fungi. In today’s diagnosis-specific episode, we will be exploring treatment options, particularly Bone Marrow Transplant, or BMT for CGD with Felicia Morton and Dr. Vinod Prasad.

In this SCID Compass episode, we will be talking with two research specialists, Virdette L. Brumm, Ph.D., and Sharon A. Kidd, MPH, Ph.D., from the Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium or PIDTC to discuss a collaborative study on assessing neurodevelopmental outcomes in SCID patients. This session was originally presented as a SCID Compass Lunch and Learn.

In this episode, we will be addressing payer challenges as well as discussing the ability to ensure access to genetic testing with Manish Butte, MD, Ph.D., and Abraham Yunis, MBA. This session was originally presented during IDF’s Rare of the Rare Summit in October.

Are you interested in learning more about clinical research trials that are available for you? In today’s episode, we will be discussing important information about clinical trials with Jason Bradt, MD, Ali Smyth, Ph.D., and Elizabeth(Buffy)Garabedian, RN, MSLS. This session was originally presented during IDF’s Rare of the Rare Summit in October.

Undergoing treatment for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency or SCID involves months in the hospital as well as months of isolation. Today, we will be speaking with Rachel Homer about how her family navigated isolation, especially during the pandemic.

As the Coronavirus progresses, the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be our best form of protection against the deadly virus, especially for those living with primary immunodeficiency or PI. The CDC recommends all individuals who are 12 years old and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In today’s episode, we will be discussing the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, specifically for teens, with a panel of Teen Leaders.

One of IDF’s many great initiatives, IDF Walk for Primary Immunodeficiency, unites all members of the PI community to help create better lives for those living with these rare, chronic disorders. You can register for an IDF Walk for PI in your area as a participant or as part of a team. Many teams are created for the walks and are led by enthusiastic Team Captains! With us to discuss being a team captain is Rachel Novak, the team captain of Team Cats Peeps.