Post by EUPATI

Voices Creating Change: Mandy Daly’s Story on How Patients Who Think Big Can Shape Healthcare, Research and Policy    "We are not outsiders offering commentary; we are experts contributing essential knowledge." 💙    In this inspiring reflection, Mandy Daly, EUPATI Fellow and Director of Education & Research at the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, writes about how a deeply personal neonatal journey led her to the heart of healthcare policy, research governance and academia - and why she believes patient advocates must think big.    💬 What does it mean to move from storytelling to strategy - from contributor to leader?   💡 How did she discover that "lived experience is not a side note, it is data" - and start acting on it?  🌟 How did she go from wanting to protect one family to shaping national policy, regulatory bodies and international research governance?    Mandy writes with clarity and purpose about a truth many advocates overlook: "patient advocates have a type of expertise that clinical training, research degree or policy textbook cannot provide."    And what began as a personal mission became something far bigger -founding alliances, changing legislation, designing curricula, mentoring the next generation of patient experts.    Because as she puts it: "Your voice is not supplementary, your experience is not optional and your impact is not accidental. Think big because the future of healthcare, research and academia depend on advocates who DO."    Read her full story here: 🔗 https://bit.ly/49YUoQs    🙏 Thank you, Mandy, for sharing your journey with such generosity, vision and purpose.    ✨ Keep an eye on the EUPATI Fellows Community page for more inspiring stories, and other opportunities: https://bit.ly/3S5rw2V    #EUPATI #PETP #IAmEUPATIFellow #PatientEducation #CreatingChange #EUPATICommunity #PatientAdvocacy #PatientInvolvement #HealthcarePolicy #MedicinesRD #StrongerTogether #GlobalHealth