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By Devin Shuman (she/her) Living life as a genetic counselor with mitochondrial disease may appear to mostly involve taking selfies with mitochondria jewelry and plushies from etsy. And while that might be a defining part of my rare disease lived experience, there are three current news stories that highlight the darker side of my rare …

Mitochondrial Disease in the News; the darker reality of living with a rare disease Read More »

We are pleased to highlight board member Jessie Conta, who brings her expertise in genetic counseling, patient advocacy and lab stewardship to Genetic Support Foundation. The post Jessie Conta: Laboratory Stewardship Advocate Guides GSF Forward appeared first on Gene Cuisine: satisfying your appetite for genetic news and information.

By Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC In my first year as a reproductive genetic counselor, I had a case that I still reflect on to this day. Without sharing too many specifics, my patient had gone through IVF and she and her partner had decided to have pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) on their embryos. …

The Balancing Act of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy Read More »

by Katie Stoll Photo credit Jill Martin Instagram A couple weeks ago, I received a message in a group text chat with friends and patient advocates. Janet wrote, “Jill Martin is sharing our message of inheriting mutations from our fathers!” Her sister Eileen shared, “I just watched it. It really touches home.” Jill Martin, lifestyle …

BRCA2 on the TODAY Show: Jill Martin’s Story Read More »

PLUGS stands for – Patient-centered Laboratory Utilization Guidance Services. PLUGS is housed at the Seattle Children’s Hospital and consists of a network of experts and people who care about lab stewardship from organizations throughout the county.  The mission of PLUGS is to improve laboratory test access, ordering, retrieval, interpretation and reimbursement. Genetic Support Foundation (GSF) …

Reflections on the 2023 PLUGS Summit  Read More »

By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Okay, so we now are all well aware that there is endless perpetuation of LGBTQIA+ Discrimination in the ASRM recommendations. Time for another hard truth – the guidelines also discriminate against people who have disabilities, genetic conditions, and/or are neurodiverse. When we hear the term …

Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: A Series Read More »

An important priority for Genetic Support Foundation (GSF) is to develop and share educational resources about genetics and health that include up-to-date, fact-based information that is free of commercial bias. With this in mind, GSF has developed numerous helpful videos related to genetics and health, all of which can be viewed on our website. Many …

Educational Videos to Support Informed Patient Decisions Read More »

By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Hopefully after reading part one of our new series, LQBTQIA+ Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation, you’ve reviewed the ASRM recommendations and realized that their failure at inclusivity extends far beyond their discriminatory practices …

Series 2: Nod towards Cisgender, Heterosexual couples Read More »

We are pleased to highlight board member, Dr. Cobie Whitten, who brings her experience and passion as a patient advocate to the Genetic Support Foundation.  For more than 30 years, Cobie Whitten has worked tirelessly to support patients facing a cancer diagnosis and improve survivorship services for those patients and their families at all points …

Cobie Whitten: A Tireless Advocate for Supporting Cancer Patients Brings Her Passion for Understanding the Psycho-Emotional Impacts of Health to GSF Read More »

By Devin Shuman, MS, CGC and Jenny Rietzler, MS, CGC Have any of y’all read the most recent American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommendations for gamete and embryo donation lately? Probably not if you don’t work in ART (assisted reproductive technology). It’s a bit painful, particularly if you comb through it with a JEDI …

LGBTQIA+ Discrimination and Eugenics in the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: A Series Read More »