Hi, everyone! I’m Cassandra, and I am very thankful to have found such an amazing community in the GT family. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where I was diagnosed with Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia at Weill Cornell Medical Center in 1988 at one year old. Since that time, I have been managed closely by top specialists, navigating new challenges each decade brings as a GT woman. As an adult in my 30s, mucosal bleeds are the most prominent issues I continuously face, managed with liquid Amicar.
I genuinely believe everyone with GT is the expert in their own body. Educating physicians and other medical professionals is essential, and being a proactive, involved patient is key to navigating life with GT. Our community knows how important advocacy is with something so unknown to the general population. Since I have GT, I make my health a priority and workout daily, practice yoga, and have a very clean diet.
My husband and biggest supporter, Michael, and I had the chance to meet many GT community members in Austin, Texas, in 2019, and it was an incredible bonding experience. Having a community reduces the very real stigma, fear, and isolation that GT can bring. I am fortunate that I have lived a very full, active social, and professional life.
I am thankful for the GT community for sharing resources and being as candid as they are about their experiences. I especially would like to acknowledge Helen Smith, our GT angel, who I had the great honor of meeting before her passing. We wouldn’t be on this journey together without her tireless advocacy and vision for a global GT community. I also would like to thank Dr. Wilcox, who has devoted his life to helping cure GT, giving us all much-needed hope.
