Feb 14, 2022
Thirty-five years ago, Nancy Sander started a conversation that has grown into a public health movement. She was struggling with her young daughter’s severe asthma and was not getting the support she needed from her doctors and insurance provider. She reached out to other parents and more enlightened medical professionals to learn ways to manage a chronic health condition that if untreated can lead to death. Nancy founded the Allergy and Asthma Network, which has grown into a collective voice for the 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma. And the Network is a force for change in communities, state legislatures and on Capitol Hill. It is now led by the indefatigable Tonya Winders, who is guided by what the data reveals. Asthma is a disease with both genetic and environmental roots. Black, Latino and Native American communities have been subjected to environmental degradation over decades and are disproportionately impacted by asthma and lung disease. The Network brings a racial equity lens to every aspect of its work. Its powerful partnerships, from barbershops to Congress, are making transformational change possible.