Advocacy in the CF Realm - Jacob Fraker, MSW, Diane Shader Smith

In the first half of this two-part session, Jacob Fraker, MSW, an adult with CF who serves in multiple roles in the state Capitol, including as a legislative aide to a California State Senator, provided an overview of the many ways in which members of our CF community can participate in advocacy efforts individually, through CFRI, and within coalitions. Part two of the session featured Diane Shader Smith, who took on the role of advocate after her daughter Mallory lost her battle with antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Diane talked about the need for new antibiotics, antifungals, and phage therapy, the PASTEUR Act, and the groups and efforts that have mobilized to respond to this health crisis. This presentation was part of CFRI's Virtual 35th National CF Education Conference.

CFRI's 35th National CF Education Conference was sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Chiesi USA, AbbVie, and Ionis Pharmaceuticals.