I Am…Grateful for You
There are lots of ways to measure the accomplishments of a year. At Smart Patients we could count the number of questions answered, stories or toolkits published, or Ask the Expert sessions hosted.
Those numbers matter. But what stays with us are the conversations where something shifts: Questions and answers get deeper. Members share fears, tears, and hope. Someone feels less alone.
Members come to Smart Patients with hard-won experience that leads to great advice:
“If something isn’t working, keep trying new things… You MUST take charge, read, reach out, and use every resource to learn. Keep asking questions—especially about the data.”
We cheer on new members posting for the first time, unsure of what to ask. It's a scary first step. We cheer on the veteran Smart Patients who day after day, year after year, share what they’ve learned because they want to help. It's a deep commitment.
We value our complex and diverse community. How all kinds of people come together to learn from each other on the road through diagnosis, treatment, and everything that follows. How we share frustration about illness and joy about life. How we breathe sighs of relief for each other's clean scans and good responses, and together bear the griefs too many of us know. We honor the small wins that only someone else walking a similar path would recognize. We relax and let go in this safe place where we are heard and understood.
We know you joined to learn together, compare notes, test new ideas, and seek a “second opinion" from other patients and caregivers. It's heartening to see you pick each other up and cheer each other on, heartwarming to see the support and concern, and exciting to see the ideas and information you share. We love how you mix reflections and memories with remaining firmly in the now.
We know patients are experts in their own conditions. When their voices are invited into medical education, they help advance care. “I’ve seen what a difference a patient perspective can make. I hope medical educators will begin to include more patients into their offerings.”
This is why community matters. It isn't just good information that makes Smart Patients work. It’s the people behind the questions and answers.
As this year comes to a close, we want to say clearly and simply: We value you, we learn from you, and we are deeply grateful for your showing up for each other and this community.
“You were one of the first to reach out when I joined. I’m still grateful for the warm welcome and spot-on information.”
Thank you for engaging, for answering, for caring. We’re grateful to keep going together.
Smart Patients welcomes patients and their loved ones dealing with chronic health issues.