Social Health Awards 2022: Patient Advocates Worth Following

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Every year a patient-advocacy program crowdsources nominees, narrows the list to 60 finalists, and lets a jury pick winners across categories like Rookie of the Year and Revolutionary Researcher. The 2022 class of Social Health Awards winners, announced by Wego Health, includes people whose work you will want in your feed.

What stands out is the range. Chronic pain, migraine, sickle cell, Crohn's, fibromyalgia, hypophosphatasia, cystic fibrosis: each winner turned a personal diagnosis into a public resource.

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Winners at a Glance

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What each winner actually does

Jill King developed chronic pain around high school graduation and lost her sight by age 20. She built an advocacy group for students with disabilities in southern Georgia, focused on rural and campus access. Her work pushes access where state-level disability services tend to be thin.

Erica Carrasco, known online as Achy Smile, runs a candid channel covering hemiplegic migraine and family life. She and her husband treat their home as the set for an honest education series, which is why the migraine advocacy world has leaned in. The American Migraine Foundation and the Migraine Disorders Association both list her as a partner.

Elle Cole is the mother of twin daughters with sickle cell disease and type 1 diabetes. She wrote an A-to-Z coloring book for kids with sickle cell, then launched the Cleverly Changing podcast in 2019 to support homeschool families. Her audience follows her family's daily life as a working blueprint for parents managing chronic disease at home.

Aaron Blocker lives with Crohn's disease and a rare bone disorder called hypophosphatasia. Over a decade he built an online community of more than 30,000 patients and caregivers affected by IBD. He uses a science background to translate the latest research into plain English for patients.

Natalie Hayden was a St. Louis TV journalist before chronic disease reordered it. Diagnosed with Crohn's in 2005, she runs the Lights, Camera, Crohn's blog, which covers diagnosis through pregnancy and parenthood. Her throughline is showing that chronic disease does not have to dim a life.

Mildred Velez, diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2007, founded FCSA in 2015 to address gaps in existing nonprofits, which she saw as too focused on awareness and research. The Center of Excellence program runs support groups and practical workshops for people who need help now, not someday.

Ella Balassa was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 18 months. With a biology degree and experience in an environmental microbiology lab, she has become increasingly involved in the CF community—serving on a research committee and organizing a research-focused virtual conference for patients and caregivers.

Our analysis

Two patterns stand out. First, the winners are not just telling their story. They are building tools, from coloring books to podcasts to support group networks, that someone else can use tomorrow. That is a higher bar than memoir and a more durable form of advocacy.

Second, every winner is the product of an information gap. Hypophosphatasia is so rare that most doctors have read a paragraph about it. Hemiplegic migraine confuses patients and physicians alike. Sickle cell care for kids is poorly resourced in rural areas. These advocates are filling in the missing pamphlets the medical system never printed.

What to watch:** whether patient-led communities start formal data partnerships with academic medical centers. Aaron Blocker's researcher-plus-patient hybrid is the model. Watch for others to follow.

Who should care

If you were recently diagnosed:** Pick two, not ten. Follow a patient advocate whose condition matches yours and a clinical organization that publishes guidelines. Use the advocate for daily tactics—the coloring book, tracker, or workbook. Use the clinical organization for treatment decisions and second opinions.

If you work in healthcare:** These winners are your informal referral network. When a patient leaves your office confused, the advocate who writes plain-English explainers may be the bridge that keeps them engaged with care.

If you run a nonprofit:** FCSA's Center of Excellence model—immediate practical support alongside longer-term research investment—is worth studying. Immediate help builds the trust that makes patients available for research later.

Key takeaways

• Patient advocates fill the gaps that clinical care cannot reach: rural access, rare disease information, daily coping tools.
• The best advocates build resources others can use, not just share their own story.
• A growing number of patient advocates are merging lived experience with scientific training, positioning themselves as research partners rather than passive subjects.
• For anyone navigating a new diagnosis, the starting point is one advocate and one clinical organization—then branch out as you learn what you need.