Jennifer Frances Robertson
Founder and 2019 Gold Award Recipient
Hello!!
My name is Jennifer Robertson, but I also go by Jenna. I was a Girl Scout for twelve years and chose to do my Gold Award project about raising awareness on Dysautonomia.
I was diagnosed with Dysautonomia when I was eleven after I started to become sick more frequently. My early symptoms presented as POTS symptoms, a form of Dysautonomia that my older sister was diagnosed with in college. Once my mom noticed the similarities, she took me to the same cardiologist that diagnosed my sister. This cardiologist was Dr. William Hammill, who also is my sponsor for this project.
​
As I got older, my symptoms developed and I found it harder to keep up with school and daily activities. I started to feel isolated and alone. I understand what it is like first-hand to grow up battling with a chronic illness, and I hope this website helps teens feel less alone while trying to manage their chronic condition.
Luckily for me, it only took one doctor’s visit to get diagnosed with Dysautonomia. However, I know that for others it isn't as simple. Due to lack of information and education on Dysautonomia, my sister was misdiagnosed and dismissed for several years until she found Dr. Hammill. It was six years before my sister was officially diagnosed with POTS. My hope is that through this website, I can help educate healthcare professionals, teachers, students, and others about Dysautonomia to minimize the time it takes to get diagnosed and crush the stigma behind chronic illnesses.
Although this journey has been hard, I have become a stronger person through it all. Dysautonomia has forced me to grow as a person, learn how to stand up for myself, made me more confident, and provided me with friends who understand my physical limitations & love me regardless.
​
If you ever feel alone, please know you're not. I am accessible by the email below if you ever need someone to talk to.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me— Feel free to reach out to me with any questions!