Meet Our A4P Team!
Rachel (she/her)
Rachel developed POTS in 2019, but was dismissed and misdiagnosed for almost 2 years, experiencing medical gaslighting and medical trauma. She had finished the second year of her training as a Pediatric Acute and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner prior to her POTS worsening, requiring her to take a medical leave of absence. She has poured her love into this organization, inspired by Amelia Moore, the daughter of a close friend. She knows how difficult living with a diagnosis like POTS is for many reasons, and also battles asthma and MCAS. She is in the last year of her training to become a Doctoral-prepared Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at George Washington University, and looks forward to supporting the POTS and chronic illness community with their mental health while passionately advocating for what they deserve. She wants to ensure that future patients do not suffer as much as she did during her journey, and instead feel loved, supported, and heard by their medical teams. She wants you to have access to the care you deserve, and wants you to feel like we are a second family and resource, to help guide you through this journey as best as we can. Her hobbies include meditation, baking/cooking, reading, anything artistic, spending time at the beach, movie nights, tennis, puzzles, and volunteering (crisis counselor with the Crisis Text Line and support group leader for the Mast Cell Disease Society).
Sujana (she/her)
Dr. Sujana Reddy is one of our medical researchers and is an Internal Medicine Physician. Dr. Reddy is very passionate about helping those with POTS as she is also a POTS survivor and warrior from post-COVID syndrome, ME/CFS, and EDS. She also battles MCAS, post-herpetic neuralgia, and secondary immunodeficiency caused by H1N1 Flu and COVID-19 viruses. She fought for her health by investigating and researching until she found the root cause of her symptoms. Along the way, she has experienced medical trauma and medical gaslighting. Because of these life-changing challenges, Dr. Reddy is motivated to make sure no patient endures what she has gone through. Her vision is to practice medicine with an empathetic ear, a holistic approach, and with more focus on quality patient-centered care. Dr. Reddy hopes to open a private Internal Medicine practice that also helps those with chronic illnesses. This Alabama native graduated with her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, D.O., from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan AL in May 2021 and completed her Internal Medicine Residency training at East Alabama Health in July 2024. Her hobbies include playing the piano, meditation/yoga, music/movie enthusiast, writing (a published research author), reading, and volunteering (a Crisis Counselor for Crisis Text Line, aids those who have low vision/blind through an app called Be My Eyes, campaign promoter for charity: water, and translator/transcriber for TedTalks).
Mallory (she/her)
Mallory contracted Covid-19 just before the vaccine was available for medical providers in her area. Since then, she has been diagnosed with post-covid POTS and is being treated for presumptive MCAS. Mallory completed her undergraduate nursing degree at Emory University, worked at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and then completed her Master’s at Villanova University. Upon completing her Master’s in Nursing in Primary Care Pediatrics, she moved to Maryland to work in private practice. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband, young daughter, dog and two guinea pigs. Prior to her Covid-19 infection her hobbies included hiking, running, photography, traveling and playing with her daughter. She is now finding that drawing/coloring and diamond painting are new fun activities, and great forms of self-care. She still enjoys photography and is learning how to adjust her photography skills to support her body's new needs. Since beginning her journey she has realized how little was taught to medical providers about post-viral conditions and other chronic health conditions like POTS, ME/CFS, MCAS, other forms of dysautonomia, fibromyalgia, and many others. She has become even more passionate about patient advocacy, provider training, and overall awareness and care for patients and families dealing with these and other chronic and post-viral conditions.
Jennifer (she/her)
Jennifer MS OTR/L is an occupational therapist in private practice in Grand Rapids, MI. Her areas of interest are chronic conditions such as POTS, EDS, MCAS, mental health, and using mindful-body practices and art to increase wellness and coping skills. She has authored two articles on POTS: Increasing functional abilities of people with Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome through occupational therapy, and most recently Enhancing quality of life through occupational therapy: A case report of an individual with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. In her spare time she volunteers to teach mindfulness-based art and crafts at Gilda’s club, a cancer and grief support center. Other areas of interest include swimming and art-especially watercolors and polymer clay. As an occupational therapist and individual with POTS, EDS, MCAS, chronic migraines and other health conditions, Jennifer brings to this board and community a wealth of knowledge on coping with POTS through advising about planning, prioritizing, pacing, and adaptations. These allow individuals with POTS to include purposeful and meaningful activities into their daily lives, energy conservation strategies so they can do activities of daily living more efficiently and effectively, and incorporating mind-body practices that when intentionally and repeatedly practiced, can empower them to change behaviors and respond more effectively to symptoms and challenges.
Sierra (she/her)
Sierra became an advocate for the POTS community when her sister developed POTS almost 3 years ago. After seeing her get dismissed by health care providers and even people close to her, and her daily challenges, she was determined to support her sister throughout her journey. She was in disbelief that someone could be treated so badly when battling an illness, and would do anything for others to not go through the same thing. Watching her sister go through something so life-changing has given her a new perspective and admiration for people struggling with chronic illness. Her experience as a student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Business studying Supply Chain Management with a certificate in Business Analytics gives her the ability to help with a plethora of marketing and growth-related tasks for A4P, and also allows her to advocate for college students with POTS. She passionately enjoys helping others through volunteering, so to help advocate for her sister and others’ journeys like hers, is very rewarding. Her hobbies include jigsaw puzzles, movies/TV shows, baking, Ultimate Frisbee, hiking/backpacking, and volunteering when she can (has volunteered with Plant2plate, Habitat for Humanity, Civic Action week at her school, and at a local creek). She hopes to help spread positivity and love within the community and spread awareness throughout the world so other POTSies don’t have to be faced with dismissal and can gain access to the care and support they deserve.
Adam (he/him)
Adam became an advocate for the POTS community when his wife developed a form of dysautonomia early in their relationship. After seeing the toll it took on her health, daily functioning, and their way of life, he hoped to improve her quality of life as well as that of countless others. His experience as an accountant allows him to support the organization in many ways, and his career as an analytics professional allowed him to develop effective visualizations for the Awareness for POTSies social media accounts. He hopes the awareness spread through this organization can help promote patient advocacy efforts around the world and that effective treatments can be made available soon to give POTSies more symptom relief and freedom from their illnesses.
Angela (she/her)
Angela developed POTS symptoms in 2019. Due to lack of awareness and misdiagnosis, she did not receive a formal diagnosis until a tilt table test in 2021. Her provider understood there were also other unexplained issues but didn’t know what other avenues to explore. After experiencing episodes of medical gaslighting and trauma, Angela took to social media to find and follow other people who were navigating POTS and experiencing co-morbidities. Through her research, she found recommended specialists to obtain further testing. Angela has been diagnosed with MCAS, EDS, Small Fiber Neuropathy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Gastrointestinal Motility Issues. Once Angela's symptoms were a little better regulated, she decided it was important to share her story on social media. With the journey to diagnosis being so challenging, she wanted to help others the best she could. Advocating for chronic illness and building community is something she is very passionate about. Angela is currently working as the Director of Human Resources at Zixi, the global leader in broadcast quality live video over internet protocol. She brings over 12 years of experience in people management, human resources, and business operations. Angela holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and a Master of Science Degree in Technology Management. In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading, painting, spending time outdoors, light exercise (when possible), watching her favorite shows on Netflix and advocating for chronic illness on her social media platforms.
Roxy (she/her)
Roxy is a former Montessori teacher who is very excited to be a part of the A4P team. She experienced many terrifying and debilitating symptoms beginning in 2020 but was told by medical professionals that she was only experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. She continued to advocate for herself for many years, and after seeing over 20 providers, she was finally given a tilt table test when a cardiologist believed her about what she was experiencing. Her tilt table test showed that she has both POTS and neurocardiogenic syncope. Her symptoms are so severe that she had to stop teaching and is now on permanent disability. She is looking forward to helping support the POTS community while spreading awareness about dysautonomia. She knows how life changing POTS can be, and she hopes to make many connections with other POTsies. She enjoys spending time with her loved ones, reading, practicing mindfulness, playing video games, playing board games, listening to music, drawing, writing, doing puzzles, and spoiling her two cats.
Katie (she/her)
Katie is a Registered Dietitian who is passionate about helping people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, and other chronic illnesses feel better by managing their nutrition-related symptoms. She earned her undergraduate degree in Clinical Nutrition at the University of California, Davis, and completed her dietetic internship at Dominican University. As a fellow patient, Katie has experienced firsthand how nutrition can drastically improve symptoms that impact quality of life. This inspired her to open her part-time virtual private practice, EDS Nutrition, where she provides nutrition counseling and digital resources for people with EDS and POTS. She also supports patients through her website and blog which can be found by clicking here. In addition to enjoying working with fellow patients, Katie is also passionate about advocating for accessible nutrition solutions for people with chronic conditions. During the day, she works at the world's leading provider of medically tailored meals that delivers over 1 million meals per week to people with chronic conditions and physical, mental, and developmental disabilities.
Shivangi (she/her)
Shivangi has lived with dysautonomia for over 20 years; in addition to hyperadrenergic POTS, her diagnoses include two GI motility disorders, gastroparesis and IBS. Shivangi first developed dysautonomia secondary to an infectious illness, which she contracted during a trip to India, at the age of sixteen. Unfortunately, Shivangi’s road to obtaining the right set of diagnoses and a true understanding of her medical condition took over nine years and was filled with medical trauma, doubting by medical professionals, and misdiagnoses; furthermore, it took her another thirteen years to find the right set of providers and medications to develop an effective treatment plan, that would finally provide her with the most symptom control/relief and improve her quality of life. Regardless, with the support of her family and friends, she persevered, continued, and eventually completed her undergraduate and graduate studies while battling through her symptoms daily. Shivangi’s medical journey drove her to want to pursue a career in medicine, in which she could not only both sympathize and empathize with her patients, but also advocate for them, and is now a Physician Associate/Assistant specializing in pediatrics. Along her dysautonomia journey, Shivangi has all too well learned the importance of a good support system, holistic healthcare, advocating for yourself, and the value of kindness, compassion, and grace, not only from others, but most importantly, towards yourself; and therefore, she strives to highlight and reiterate the value of these factors in both her career and through volunteerism. In the past, Shivangi has served as a volunteer for multiple Children’s hospitals, cancer groups/organizations, UNICEF, and as a first aid volunteer for the American Red Cross. Shivangi is very excited and enthusiastic about her current role as the support group developer and leader for A4P, as she knows how hard navigating an illness such as POTS can be, and hopes that the support group platform will prove to be both valuable and a pillar of support for those in our community. In her spare time, Shivangi enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, meditating, practicing yoga, hiking, traveling, and the outdoors (as her symptoms allow, of course).
Hannah (she/her)
Hannah has been a Mental Health Counselor for over 20 years, working in community mental health and currently in private practice. She holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and a bachelor’s degree, with dual majors in psychology and English. Hannah began experiencing POTS symptoms shortly after graduating high school and suffered worsening symptoms through college and graduate school. It took over a decade for her to finally be diagnosed with POTS, after being dismissed by numerous medical providers. Hannah began meditating daily as a part of her treatment plan alongside other helpful interventions recommended by her medical team. Her own health struggles helped her understand the importance of using mindfulness and meditation to find a balance in her daily life. Her daily meditation was so beneficial that she began using meditations to assist clients. She tries to make the idea of meditation less intimidating by creating short, beginner meditations to help build consistency. You can find her meditations on the Aura Health meditation app, and you can find her comforting podcast by clicking here. Hannah is passionate about helping those in the POTS community manage their emotional and physical health. Her hobbies include reading, hiking (when symptoms allow), cooking, practicing latte art and hanging out with her family, including her two dalmatians.