Holly Sanneman

I started End of Endo Project 9 years ago as a passion project after my own 18-year journey with endometriosis. I suffered from the time I was young, went 16 years without a diagnosis, and even after diagnosis wasn't getting proper help. Two years later, through my own research and my family's encouragement, I finally discovered that everything I had been told about endometriosis was wrong and that remission was actually possible. I found an endometriosis specialist who excised all my endometriosis instead of just burning it out, made lifestyle changes, and achieved remission. I felt like I had gotten out of a burning building by the grace of God, and I had to go get other people out too. So I created the first-ever virtual online directory of endometriosis specialists with a questionnaire to help patients find the right fit, because there's no actual specialty distinction for these doctors even though they do everything 100% different than regular OBGYNs. We provide educational resources written to be accessible, as if for a reader in blinding pain who needs good information without medical jargon. We offer peer support to help people navigate insurance and provide support when their own systems fail them. We've done advocacy work in DC, and my team and I accomplished something huge this past year by establishing the first proper federal definition of endometriosis for all NIH research. To be honest, this isn't even my paying job, but it takes up so much of my time because I feel absolutely compelled to do it. I have a degree in organizational leadership and three kids, so this has been my way of making a meaningful impact while being there for my family.