Raising Awareness

Tom Ponzo, a student at Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Tampa, Florida, recently created a public service announcement (PSA) about transverse myelitis, featuring his friend Kristin Smith. PSAs aim to bring awareness to issues, and Tom decided to create one about transverse myelitis.

Kristin, who is featured in the PSA, began losing sensation in both legs on December 20, 2012, and in a few hours, she was paralyzed from the chest down. Three months after Kristin lost the ability to walk, she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis. Still requiring the use of her wheelchair, she was determined not to give up her dreams. Kristin has since completed her Master’s and PhD in Atmospheric Science at the University of Maryland and now works at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Florida. You may recognize Kristin as one of our Myelife. My hope. Hope Ambassadors from last year. You can find her story here.

Kristin will also be a speaker for our September podcast, “How to get the most out of your appointments: Physician and patient perspectives with Dr. Greenberg and Kristin Smith.” Kristin and Dr. Greenberg will be discussing the medical appointment from each of their perspectives and give tips and suggestions for how to get the most out of an appointment. This podcast will be on September 25th between 1 and 2 pm ET. To learn more and to register, click here.

A big thank you Kristin and Tom for their willingness to spread awareness!