PRESS RELEASE: Cody Unser Joins Board of MyHealthID Global

We are proud to announce that Cody Unser has joined the Board of MyHealthID Global (www.myhealthidglobal.org), a non-profit dedicated to saving lives through better informed emergency preparedness and response.

Cody is a member of the famed Unser family racing legacy.  She has been featured in two highly acclaimed documentaries, "CODY," narrated by Glenn Close and "Sea of Change," narrated by Montel Williams.

Dr. Sally Stansfield, Board Chair of MyHealthID Global said, "Cody Unser brings a lifetime of service and experience with the disabled community to our board. We are extremely honored that Cody has joined us in our mission to support, improve, and empower emergency preparedness and response globally by providing essential data on individuals and populations to emergency planners and first responders."

Cody Unser said, "I was drawn to MyHealthID Global because of their determination to lower the death and injury rate of disabled people in a crisis.  When emergency planners understand and are informed of the unique needs and healthcare requirements of disabled people, we will definitely save countless lives."

Jennifer Sparks, Executive Director of MyHealthID Global, said, "Cody is one of the most courageous and dedicated people I have ever known. Her input and expertise will be invaluable as we begin our pilot project in Bangladesh in partnership with Action Aid and our ongoing work with the United Nations.”

After becoming paralyzed at age 12 due to the autoimmune disorder called Transverse Myelitis, Cody, along with her mother Shelley Unser, founded The Cody Unser First Step Foundation to raise awareness, encourage medical collaboration and improve the quality of life for those afflicted with Transverse Myelitis and other autoimmune related disorders.

Ms. Unser has become a leading global advocate for people living with disabilities and spends much of her time traveling across the country to deliver keynote speeches, attend medical symposia, and help other grassroots organizations that have similar missions. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Redlands in California where she created her own degree called “Biopolitics: The Interconnection Between Biology and Political Action in Human Health”. She received her Masters in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Policy at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is known nationally for her continued mission of educating OBGYN Departments about the reproductive and sexual health of women with disabilities with her “Wheelchair Barbie Goes to the Gynecologist” lecture.

Cody was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and is currently a graduate student at The University of New Mexico pursuing a PhD in Medical Sociology with the goal to develop, deliver, and teach disability curriculum for medical schools across the country.

Cody joins the other MyHealthID Global Board members: Sally Stansfield, MD, David Ross, PhD,  Andrew Wiesenthal, MD, Jeffrey Teves, Jana Thomas, and Maria Thacker Goethe.

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