HAE patients have had a long and arduous “climb” in our ongoing efforts to support discovery and ultimate access to effective and innovative HAE therapies. HAE expert physician/scientists Dr. Bruce Zuraw and Dr. Sandra Christiansen have provided purposeful leadership and compassionate support for our patient community during every step of the journey. These HAE trailblazers serve on the HAEA Medical Advisory Board, are popular speakers at HAEA conferences, have authored a large portfolio of important HAE-related medical/scientific journal articles, and were the key drivers in establishing (1) the US HAEA Scientific Registry and (2) the US HAEA Angioedema Center at the University of California at San Diego.
Drs. Zuraw and Christiansen and Mr. Caesar Sweitzer--a long-time friend, and financial advisor to the HAEA Board of Directors, who has witnessed first-hand Drs. Zuraw and Christiansen's hard work and perseverance in HAE research--will make their own climb with the sole objective of helping HAE patients. Our intrepid climbers are thinking big! They will be traveling to Tanzania and will ascend the famous Mt. Kilimanjaro, which, at 19,340 feet, is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.
We are asking the HAE community - friends, family, and extended networks - to follow the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro and, while doing so, make a donation to the US HAEA Patient Benevolence Fund.
Where will the money go?
Donations are needed to aid our efforts in providing comprehensive care for our HAE patients and ultimately raising the standard for care in the US and around the world. Together we can Elevate Aspirations for Life with HAE! Every dollar contributed will be placed in the HAEA Benevolence Fund for the purpose of helping patients obtain expert HAE care.
What is HAE?
Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare, debilitating and potentially fatal genetic disease resulting from a deficiency of a key plasma protein. Patients suffer from unpredictable attacks of swelling that involves the hands, feet, abdomen, face, and airway. Abdominal swelling involves excruciating pain and vomiting that can last up to 72 hours. Airway attacks constitute a major medical emergency that can lead to death by suffocation. Despite the availability of new medicines and progress made in HAE advocacy and education, preventable HAE-related deaths continue to occur, and many patients still suffer from disabling attacks. To find out more, check out HAEA.org
Meet our "HAE Trailblazers"
Dr. Sandra Christiansen
Dr. Christiansen is a Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego and a faculty member at the Angioedema Center. She is a member of the Allergy Department at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Christiansen serves as a member of the US HAEA’s Medical Advisory Board and has played a key role in angioedema research. Dr. Christiansen is the recipient of numerous research grants and awards and is an internationally respected allergy and angioedema expert.
Dr. Bruce Zuraw
Dr. Zuraw specializes in all types of non-histaminergic angioedemas, with particular attention to Hereditary Angioedema. He is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Zuraw chairs the US HAEA Medical Advisory Board, is an international thought leader in angioedema and has been a driving force behind HAE research in the US. Dr. Zuraw is the inaugural holder of the US HAEA Endowed Chair at UC San Diego.
Caesar Sweitzer
Mr. Sweitzer recently retired after a 35 year career as an investment banker, most recently as a Senior Advisor/Managing Director of Citigroup. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Crown Holdings, one of the world's largest packaging companies and served on the Board of Trustees of Carleton College for 16 years. He received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
Stay Tuned!
Keep visiting our "update" tab to track our climbers and get updates on their progress as we embark on this journey to surmount our challenges, step by step! Visit the "activity" tab to view our comprehensive list of generous supporters!
