Life with polio: A survivor's journey, an advocate's voice
Welcome to my site, I'm Grace, a 34 year old polio survivor and vaccine advocate based in Illinois!
How I Started My Advocacy Work
My advocacy work started with Shriners Hospital Saint Louis in 2005 as a Patient Ambassador. My first media appearance was in Shriners "What To Expect Before Surgery" video. Shriners encouraged me to tell my story and shaped my lifetime hobby of vaccine advocacy. As an adult, I have spent countless hours in Facebook groups, in person, writing, collaborating with journalists, and virtually speaking about the importance of childhood vaccines and countering vaccine misinformation.
With the rise of the anti-vaccine movement and MAHA/RFKjr, I believe polio survivors have a unique perspective in the advocacy space since we have such a visible and preventable disease.
About Grace
Grace was born in Nagpur, India in 1992 and adopted to Saint Louis, MO in 1993. Thanks to an incredible family and Shriners Hospital Saint Louis, I received numerous surgeries, leg braces and physical therapy, along side hundreds of stuffed animals!
My family includes two loving parents, two amazing big sisters, great brother in law's and two hilarious and smart nieces.
Outside of the hospital, my biggest joy was my cat Lucky. She was a flame point Siamese and began my lifelong love of cats. Since moving out I now have 3 cats, Lily, Goliath and Petra. As an adult, I have spent a majority of life in the advocacy space between vaccines, women's right and healthcare rights. During my free time, I enjoy taking walks, being outside or attending one of the many outdoor events Springfield has to offer such as live music, farmers markets and car shows!
Education
University of Illinois Springfield, IL - Liberal & Integrated Studies, BA - Criminal Justice, Abnormal Psychology, Public Health - 2015
Lincoln Land Community College - Phlebotomy - 2016
How I make a difference
I strive to educate, inspire, and empower communities to embrace vaccination as a cornerstone of public health.
Public speaking engagements
Invite me to speak to your group in person or remotely! I have experience speaking to small groups to large audiences of 20k plus people.
Past speaking engagements have included Springfield IL Sunshine Rotary Club, Rotaract Club of Columbia, MO, Former NFL Saint Louis Rams, MLB Saint Louis Cardinals, numerous Shrine Temples
Collaborative projects
I am always seeking opportunities to collaborate with other advocates, journalists, organizations, and policymakers to amplify the message of vaccine importance and work towards a world free from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Connect with me
