When junior Daniel Frandle was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2021, he felt the most comfort from talking to senior Jake Piornack, a friend who also suffered from a chronic illness, he said.
This year, Piornack, working with Frandle and others, started the Medical Awareness Network, a group dedicated to providing other students with that same support as well as raising awareness about the struggles that come with having a chronic illness.
Piornack, president of the Medical Awareness Network, said he was inspired to start the group because he noticed there was no organization on campus dedicated to assisting students with medical conditions.
“While Lighthouse does great work for mental conditions, I thought it would be beneficial to campus to create a parallel club to help with more physiological conditions,” Piornack said.
Piornack said he intends to welcome and support all those with a chronic illness and to provide “a place where someone suffering from an illness that affects their quality of life can feel comfortable and understood,” he said. “Hopefully, they can find ways to improve their situation with the help of others who share their plight.”
Piornack said he also hopes to use this organization to fundraise for different foundations that raise awareness for medical conditions.
Senior John Ethan Baldwin, vice president of the Medical Awareness Network, said he hopes this group will help people struggling in many different areas.
“I hope this group is able to support students suffering from any medical condition primarily by connecting them with others who relate to their struggles, and also through sharing experiences with diet, medicine, or habit changes that were helpful,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin encouraged those who are interested in joining to reach out to him or Piornack.
“If you are interested in joining, talk to me or Jake Piornack, the president of the group, or just send an email,” he said. “We both enjoy meeting people and would be happy to explain more about the group.”
Frandle, treasurer of the Medical Awareness Network, said involvement can look different for everyone.
“Involvement can really be whatever you wish to have,” he said. “We understand that for many people with diseases and autoimmune issues, it’s hard to stay strict to a certain schedule, especially during flares. So, to mitigate that, we decided that participation should really be dictated by the needs of its members.”
The Medical Awareness Network meets once a week at the health center.
“We meet every other Saturday from 2-3pm and every other Tuesday from 8-9pm. This way there’s always at least one meeting a week and at two times to make meetings more accessible,” Piornack said.
Frandle said the group is a “unique space” where people can come and relate to others who are struggling with the same conditions.
“If you’re coming to be supportive for a friend or just to educate yourself, I think it will be a very eye-opening experience and it will put into perspective the difficulties that others around you have to face,” Frandle said.
Piornack said it has been rewarding to see people getting the help and support they need, including himself.
“I’ve had Crohn’s disease myself for 9 years, and having already helped two close friends of mine avoid the unnecessary pitfalls I’ve encountered along the way has been incredibly fulfilling,” Piornack said.
Frandle said he was able to talk to Piornack when he received his diagnosis, and it affected him more than anything else had at that point.
“Having a friend that was there to talk to me and help me through the confusion and adjustment when I was first diagnosed with my autoimmune last year was an amazing resource that helped me manage my stress and made me feel understood and heard when I felt like no one could be there for me,” he said.
Frandle said he hopes he can do the same for other people struggling with medical conditions.
“I want to be able to help others with something that brought me so much comfort and aid when I needed it. Giving it forward,” he said.