Joining Together for Justice in Medicine

Last night, I had the honor of speaking at a general meeting of Comunidad for Health Equity (CHE) — a powerful student-led organization at UC Berkeley made up of future doctors, nurses, dentists, public health leaders, and healers. CHE exists to uplift the health of the Latinx community through education, advocacy, and direct service in Berkeley, Oakland, and beyond.

I was invited to share about my family’s story — and the urgent need to diversify the national blood stem cell donor registry through NMDP. Too often, patients of color can’t find a match when facing life-threatening illness simply because there aren’t enough registered donors from their communities.

CHE students showed up with heart, curiosity, and a willingness to act. I’m so grateful to have them joining me in this work — not just to save individual lives, but to address the deeper inequities that shape whose lives get saved.

The future of medicine looks brighter because of them.