Support Group Meetings

LADN offers monthly support group meetings for dysautonomia patients and caregivers living in California. Our support groups provide a space for members to share their experiences related to dysautonomia in a supportive environment with fellow dysautonomia patients or caregivers.

LADN patient support groups are facilitated by fellow dysautonomia patient and LADN leader, Sally Krueger-Wyman. LADN caregiver support groups are facilitated by psychologist Dr. Samantha Levy. LADN will begin offering a teen support group in January 2025.

Please sign up for LADN’s free membership if you are interested in attending our support groups. See our calendar for a current schedule of upcoming meetings.

LADN Links Program

LADN Links encourages the power of friendship and community by pairing small groups of LADN members and encouraging them to get to know each other. Having friends who understand the daily challenges and triumphs related to a chronic illness can be both a relief and a reward. Our aim is to create friendships through the shared experience of dysautonomia and to combat the isolation that so often comes with a chronic illness. 

If you are interested in participating in this program, please email us.

Community-Building Events

Outside of our monthly support group meetings, we hold community-building events just for fun! These events provide an opportunity for members to better get to know one another, laugh, and just generally have a good time with others living with dysautonomia. Past activities have included movie nights, pumpkin carving, vision boards, garden crafts, and more! See our calendar for a current schedule of upcoming social events. Please contact us if you are interested in attending our social events.

Health Education

LADN believes education is critical to both raising awareness about dysautonomia, as well as to helping patients learn effective ways to manage symptoms. LADN hosts awareness campaigns and educational workshops virtually and in our local LA community to educate patients and the community about dysautonomia. Past events have included guest experts such as a dysautonomia researcher, physical therapist, psychologist, acupuncturist, employment lawyer, and dietician.

We also spread awareness about dysautonomia and provide patient tips for coping with symptoms via our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

SickLit Book Club

The LADN SickLit Book Club meets quarterly to discuss books that are either written by authors who have experience with chronic illness and disability or deal with those themes in their writing. By celebrating SickLit, our aim is to see shared experiences reflected in literature - both the challenges and the triumphs of life with illness. Please sign up for our LADN Member email list for Zoom links to meetings and updates on our current read!

Healthcare Access Grant Program

LADN offers Healthcare Access Grants to help low income dysautonomia patients in California afford vital healthcare. Too many dysautonomia patients find themselves unable to work due to their illness and therefor unable to afford the healthcare necessary for treating their illness. The majority of respondents to LADN's 2024 annual survey reported that they have been unable to afford healthcare costs and have faced moderate to severe financial hardship due to their illness. LADN distributed $6,000 amongst 12 recipients in 2023 and will distribute $10,000 among 10 recipients in 2024.

Applications for our 2024 Healthcare Access Grants are open through October 14th, 2024. Please sign up for our LADN Member email list for updates.

Access to healthcare is crucial for facing dysautonomia. We hope you will consider donating to help patients receive the care they deserve!