Biotechnology company Wave Life Sciences invited AFTD Fundraising Coordinator Brittany Andrews and AFTD Ambassador Corey Esannason to discuss FTD and its impact on families in a special Food for Thought event.

Andrews and Esannason virtually convened with Wave staff on Oct. 6 to amplify FTD awareness. Their presentation included a brief disease overview, along with Esannason’s personal story of how her family was affected by FTD.

Esannason additionally provided insight on her FTD advocacy efforts. She has worked alongside AFTD to help raise FTD awareness in support of her mother, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2011.

“If you meet one person with FTD, you meet one person with FTD,” Esannason shared during the presentation. “Although there are symptoms and there are threads that are similar, everyone’s story is very different…and because of the unique aspects of this disease and when it tends to hit, it really affects every aspect of the individual’s life.”

Andrews also educated attendees on World FTD Awareness Week 2021 and the community-driven social-media campaign, the #FTDhotshotchallenge, now in its second year. In their own #FTDhotshotchallenge video, Wave team members shared how individuals and families along the FTD journey inspire them to continue their work in advancing FTD research and therapeutics.