Q: What 3 words best describe how you strive to increase health equity for all patients?

A: Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. Pro Player Foundation created an Initiative to address health equity called Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. The goal of Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. is to increase MS outreach, awareness, and engagement. Pro Player Foundation works to address the needs of the underserved and underrepresented through the three pillars of our Initiative: Collaborative rEECh on the Road Panels, social media campaigns and signature fundraising events. We strive to use our voice to connect with people who may not be reached through traditional communication to improve lives in the MS community.

Q: How would you define health equity and its importance to MS patients?

A: For me, it’s about seeing oneself as they go through the process of understanding their diagnosis. When I received my diagnosis in 2007, I remember those feelings I had when I was going through Doctor Google (don't go through Doctor Google) and trying to learn about MS, and I never saw anyone's face that looked like mine. It made me feel like there must be something really wrong with me. I couldn't find many statistics on Black males, and then I learned that MS is more progressive in Black males. Hearing things of that nature and reflecting on how I felt in 2007, I said, 'We have to do better.'

Q: What are the biggest challenges you see to achieving health equity for patients with MS?

A: The biggest challenge is that we need to be more a part of the education process and find innovative ways to connect with Black and Latino communities. We need to be giving the right information and breaking down barriers between doctors and patients. We need to be talking about how clinical trials are important and bringing resources forward from trustworthy powers that are in our system. I'm somebody who went through a clinical trial, and it's so important for me to be open about that. It helps make sure our medications are meeting different ethnicities. We're trying to break down the barriers built by stories that are in our communities, where our people have been abused and hurt. I want to help people understand we're trying to progressively move forward. If I can use my life as something as a testament to that, I try to. It's about passing the torch and encouraging others to do it bigger and better.

To learn more about the Pro Player Foundation, visit: proplayerfoundation.org.