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February 27th, 2022

Rene Morales, Patient Advocate for Trigeminal Neuralgia

  1. Rene Morales, Patient Advocate for Trigeminal Neuralgia Moyez Jiwa 33:19

Rene Morales is patient advocate for Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), a rare chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. TN pain is exceptionally severe and at one time was referred to as the “Suicide Disease” because those with TN would rather end their life than live with the pain associated with the condition. Diagnosed in 2018, Rene initially struggled with Depression and isolation that affected not only his life, but those who surrounded him. Faced with a choice of continuing down the dark road of depression, or pull himself out of the downward spiral he had created, Rene started his journey to return to the person he was prior to his diagnosis with a renewed sense of purpose.

To serve as a role model to others, Rene has shared his story of adversity through a variety of platforms to include motivational speech and storytelling, written essays, podcasts, and can be seen in the award winning “Unfixed” docuseries and in the upcoming feature documentary film “Why We Matter”.

What Living with Trigeminal Neuralgia Taught Me (And How It May Help You) — Health Story Collaborative
Docuseries — unfixed (unfixedmedia.com)
Why We Matter – Rene – YouTube

Moyez Jiwa is a general practitioner, journal editor and podcast host. Professor Jiwa leads a medical school based in Melbourne, Australia. He authored the book The Art of Doctoring. He believes that healthcare can improve by focusing on the quality of the meeting between health care professional and patient. This would forge a truly meaningful partnership between doctor and patient as co-pilot in care. It would also reduce rates of burnout among doctors and future proof healthcare in a world where the population is ageing and more likely to be living with more complex health care conditions.