It’s fitting on this day, National Inventors Day, that I express how honored and humbled I am to have been chosen as a finalist along with such a formidable list of contenders in The Lyfebulb-Bristol Myers Squibb 2021 “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge”
Little did I know when I set out to create a mobility/assistive device to help those in the MS/disability/chronic illness space to live a more independent and engaged life, that I would become one of the ONLY 7% of WOMEN-ONLY PATENT HOLDERS in the US. It wasn’t until years later that I knew that statistic even existed. Like most women, I’m a fixer. It’s in our nature to identify problems and solve them. That’s just what we do. It was no different in this case. I recognized the type of device that was missing from the mobility lineup, then leaned in, did my research, and put in the work. All done through my recovery from a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy, struggling through years of trigeminal neuralgia and subsequent surgeries, and while lifting up and engaging with the very community I intend for my invention to serve. Like I mentioned…women just DO!
So, on this day, I say cheers to all those women inventors and potential women inventors out there. Remember, you don’t need permission to create and execute your dream into a reality…to turn your thoughts into things.
You were made for this!💪🔥