Call to Action: Share your story with author Rachel Brummert

I met Rachel Brummert at the initial PSAN meetings at Consumer Reports last year. She is writing a book (I’ve contributed a chapter) designed to help patients who have been injured my medical errors and defective medical devices. But she needs more stories, or it won’t be published. If you have a story to share, I encourage you to contact Rachel and see if you can help her finish this book. Her email on the topic is below:

My name is Rachel Brummert. I am a patient safety advocate who was inappropriately prescribed a medication that left me disabled. After I was harmed, I made it my mission to advocate for others.

 My story can be found here for some background on my journey. http://rachelbrummert.com/my-story/

 As a harmed patient, I found little help or resources and I had to learn about flaws in the system by being thrown into the deep-end. It was scary and complicated, and I learned way more than I wanted to about how medications and devices are approved.

 Two years ago, I was asked by Josh Rivedal to share my story in his book The i’Mpossible Project: Reengaging with Life, Creating a New You. The format of the book is storytelling.

 This upcoming book is the third in the i’Mpossible Project series. I wanted stories to be told by harmed patients themselves; they could tell their story better than I could. I wanted to combine patient safety information with the storytelling format.

 Also included in the book will be resources. I think it is important that patients have all the information they need to make an informed decision about their health. Harmed patients had to learn this the hard way and I feel a moral responsibility to not allow that to happen to others.

 I want this book to be more than storytelling; I want it to affect change. Change in policy/legislation and change in attitude toward patients.

 As I went through all of this, I felt like I wasn’t being heard; that the medical community was dismissing me. I believe patients need to be heard because we are the end result of what went wrong.

 This is why I need your help. Collectively, our voices become louder and it’s hard to ignore strength in numbers.

 Here is information and guidelines for chapter submission: http://rachelbrummert.com/upcoming-book-patient-safety/

 You have my word that I will treat your story with the utmost of care. Your story is important to me. You retain all rights to your story. Before publication you will have to sign a waiver saying just that- you are merely giving me permission to use your story. You will also have final say after edits. Nothing gets published without your approval.

 I would like to tell each and every one of you that I am so very sorry for what happened to you or your family member. Please help me shine a spotlight on much needed changes so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

 If I get enough stories by mid to late June, the book will likely be published by December 2018.

 Rachel Brummert

rachel@rachelbrummert.com