Joan Young has been a teacher, systems analyst, and manager at several companies, including those in the pharmaceutical industry.  However, it wasn’t until her dramatic recovery from ITP that she embarked on her most rewarding career: helping others improve their health.  After an overwhelming response to a small ITP web site she created, she founded the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA) in 1998.  The organization now reaches thousands of people in more than 130 countries. 

Since retiring from PDSA in 2006, Joan continues to educate and inspire others.  She is an associate editor and wrote "Caught in the Middle:The Divide Between Conventional and Alternative Medicine" for the inaugural issue of the International Journal of User-Driven Healthcare and wrote the lead chapter, "A Healing Journey with a Thousand Echoes," for the medical textbook, User-Driven Healthcare and Narrative Medicine: Utilizing Collaborative Social Networks and Technologies.

Joan lives in Sedona, Arizona.

Send a message: Joan@gemwrite.com