Julie's 2026 TMS Rocket Challenge Fundraiser

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease called systemic mastocytosis in 2024. It took nine months to get in to see a specialist in Boston, and during that time, The Mast Cell Disease Society (TMS) became my lifeline. When I feared I might die from this disease, TMS gave me something I desperately needed: hope.

Through TMS, I learned about my disease, found validation in the experiences of other patients, and gained the knowledge to ask better questions of my healthcare providers. Most importantly, they taught me that I needed to carry an EpiPen with me at all times—a lesson that has since saved my life on more than one occasion.

Because this organization helped save my life, I made one of the biggest decisions of my career. After more than two decades in higher education fundraising, I left a career I loved to become the inaugural Development Director at TMS. It is an incredible privilege to give back to the organization that gave so much to me when I needed it most.

Every day, I meet people whose stories remind me of my own. Parents searching for answers for their children. Patients navigating years of misdiagnoses. Families looking for hope, community, and better treatments. No one should have to face a rare disease alone.

That's why I'm participating in the Rocket Challenge, TMS's annual fundraising campaign. The funds we raise help provide trusted patient education, physician resources, support programs, advocacy efforts, and research that moves us closer to better treatments—and one day, a cure.

Whether your gift is $10, $100, or more, every donation makes a meaningful difference. If TMS had not been there for me, my journey would have looked very different. Today, I'm asking you to help ensure that every person diagnosed with a mast cell disease has access to the same hope, guidance, and community that changed my life.

Thank you for supporting a mission that is deeply personal to me. Your generosity will help save lives, advance research, and remind patients that they are never alone.

With love and gratitude,

Julie