Michelle is a Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) and rare disease patient advocate, who was trained by the Family Heart Foundation in 2014, just after her daughter, Avery, was diagnosed with Homozygous FH (HoFH) at the age of six. Since that time, Michelle has advocated for Avery and other children and adults with rare diseases like HoFH, both nationally and internationally. In her rare disease advocacy, Michelle has attended rare disease conferences across the United States and in Europe, lobbied on Capitol Hill for advancements in the rare disease community, lectured at corporate pharmaceutical discussions, fundraised for FH and other rare disease causes, and built an online presence (“Avery’s Fight”) to raise awareness of HoFH and other rare diseases. Her goal is to share her family’s story to help others understand the rare disease patient and family experience. Experienced Patient Advocate with a demonstrated history of working in the philanthropy industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Photography, Marketing and Adobe Creative Suite.