If you can believe it, this is officially our last blog post for 2022. What better way to close out the year by having President of the Myasthenia Gravis Association, Michael Eagan, reflect on all of the achievements the MGA has accomplished in these 52 weeks?
Thank you, to each and every one of you for making the MGA possible. We are incredibly grateful for this community and we are excited to bring you even more programming, services, and awareness around MG in 2023. Cheers!
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By Michael Eagan
Hello,
My name is Michael Eagan, and I am the President of the Board of Directors of the Myasthenia Gravis Association of the Heartland. As I reflect on the last year, I am so proud of the numerous achievements the MGA team accomplished in 2022.
When I began my role as Board President in January, the organization was still dealing with the ups and downs of COVID-19 in addition to some staff transitions. While both were time consuming, we saw positive results which have enabled the organization to think outside the box and expand our client engagement and programming.
The MGA expanded and refined its virtual programming which allowed for more participants and speakers from across the country. The organization also saw an increase in viewership on the MGA YouTube channel. The MGA Annual meeting, which was virtual again this year, had a record 250 registered attendees. In addition to the increase in virtual programming, local support groups kicked back into high gear and saw a significant increase in participation.
The MGA team expanded our clinic partnerships at St. Luke’s Hospital and Cox Health Springfield. The team also planned several fund-raising activities including the MGA Triple Crown Showdown, the Snowflake Shuffle and they closed out the year with, Cy’s Crown Town Trivia Night, which was the most successful trivia night in the history of this event.
As you have likely observed from our communications, newsletters, and programming, this is an exciting time for patients with myasthenia gravis due to the number of clinical trials and potential drug developments. I am very optimistic about these new developments and the progress being made by our partners in the pharmaceutical industry.
Although 2022 was such a positive year for our organization, we did receive some sad news last month. It is with a heavy heart that I share that Rev. William Stackhouse passed away. Rev. Stackhouse and his wife Joan founded the Myasthenia Gravis Association (MGA) in 1960 as Joan's battle with myasthenia gravis began. Rev. Stackhouse celebrated his 100th birthday in October. The MGA community is thinking of the entire Stackhouse family during this difficult time.
I cannot end the year without sending a huge thank you to our small but mighty team; Executive Director, Allison Foss, St. Louis Program Coordinator, Meridith O’Connor and Patient Care Specialist, Catherine Singleton. They take care of everything behind the scenes from program planning to fundraising, staying focused on the goals of our organization, and serving the needs of our clients.
I am also so appreciative of all the hard work from the entire Board of Directors, the Medical Advisory Committee, the Support Group Coordinators, and all the volunteers that dedicated their time in 2022. I would also like to thank the staffs at the MG clinics at KU Medical Center, the MG clinic at St. Luke’s Hospital, Cox Health Springfield, and St. Louis University for their partnerships.
These dedicated individuals make it possible for our organization to serve over 2,000 people a year and to accomplish our objective of trying to improve the lives of those impacted by myasthenia gravis.
I wish you peace and good health in 2023,
Michael Eagan