1. Claire Sachs: My Path to Patient Advocacy Christopher MacLellan 44:12

38 years ago, Claire Sachs’ healthcare journey began with a near-fatal illness that put her in a wheelchair for 18 months. This experience evolved into a life that includes balancing 13 chronic and recurring conditions followed by caregiving for her mom.

Angry, combative, and frustrated for a long time, Claire didn’t want to talk about her personal health story, but that all changed when she was invited to speak about her experience and found her voice and path to Patient Advocacy.

Listen in and learn how Claire Sachs is creating Healing Ties all around us!

You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."

When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.

We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.