My name is Abby Pollander. I am a pharmacist at the Medical University of South Carolina and I serve as the drug shortage coordinator. I lead drug shortage forecasting, recall management, and operational planning. I have a background in emergency medicine and critical care which has given me a very strong lens on critical medications, mass casualty response, and frontline needs. I’m also a member of the End Drug Shortages Alliance and I partner with Angels for Change and Laura. Being part of this community that rallies around drug shortage prevention and activism informs my determination and motivation every single day.
My name is Jennifer, and I am a childhood cancer survivor who has been impacted by the national drug shortage. Rhabdomyosarcoma became a common word in my family when I was three years old. By the time of diagnosis, the cancer had metastasized from the middle ear into the mastoid and eustachian tube. The oncology team told my parents there was less than a three percent chance for me to live out the year. There was no definitive treatment protocol to defeat this rare form of cancer, and the survival rate was extremely low. Over the next two and a half years, I underwent surgeries, full head and neck radiation, and a four-drug chemotherapy cocktail. Just before my sixth birthday, I became one of the rare survivors and entered remission.
My name is Tiffanie. I am a mom of two (Harper and Finn), wife and nurse. In January of 2020 myson, Finn, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. No amount of medical education,training or experience prepares you for the news that your child has cancer. It feels like an out ofbody experience. I felt helpless, heartbroken, and numb.
