This episode, you can expect a heartfelt conversation with Michele Wright, Ph.D., and Terry Wright. Terry shares his story of being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 54, after a literal lifetime of misdiagnosis and suffering due to racial biases and stereotypes. The Wrights discuss their journey, detailing the challenges of living with cystic fibrosis, and the importance of health equity.
Despite the hardships, the Wrights have turned their experiences into advocacy by founding the National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (NOAACF), promoting awareness and screening for all CF mutations. Their groundbreaking work highlights the critical issue of health disparities and aims to support those enduring similar struggles, emphasizing empathy and service to others.
More about Michele & Terry:
Dr. Michele Wright, Ph.D., and Terry Gene Wright have dedicated their lives to advancing health equity, particularly for underrepresented communities. As co-founders of the National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (NOAACF), they focus on raising awareness and improving care for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). They also created the BIOMERGD Conference and The Wright Cystic Fibrosis Screening Tool to help early detection of CF in diverse populations.
Their AHEAD Initiative and CHANGE Campaign aim to address health disparities and promote equity in healthcare for underserved groups. They advocate for "Terry Wright’s Law," which seeks to expand CF newborn screening to include all gene variants.
In 2023, they were honored as AARP Purpose Prize Fellows and previously became the first people of color to receive the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Arkansas Chapter's Breath of Life Award.
Connect with Michele & Terry:
National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis
Wright Cystic Fibrosis screening tool
Connect with Amy Sylvis:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysylvis
Contact Us:
https://www.sylviscapital.com/webinar
0:00 Preview
01:46 Guest Intros
06:11 Living with cystic fibrosis
18:06 Giving back to others despite suffering
22:54 The few moments of relief
25:07 National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (NOAACF)
27:25 Breakthroughs in health equity
30:32 Rare CF mutations disproportionately affect BIPOC
33:56 What abundance really means
36:01 Advice for creating abundance
