TED Community Organization Presents: TED AWARENESS WEEK 2026

Introducing Whole-Person Care for Thyroid Eye Disease & Graves’ Disease

What Is Whole-Person Care? For people living with Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) and Graves’ disease, it means looking beyond medical treatment to discover how everyday choices can support our physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. This includes anti-inflammatory nutrition, movement as medicine, stress reduction, restorative sleep, emotional and social wellbeing, a healthy environment, and positive self-talk. 

Whole-Person Care complements medical treatment by empowering us to take an active role in our health and healing journey. Through small, sustainable lifestyle changes, we can build resilience, improve quality of life, and rediscover a greater sense of control over our lives.

Learn more during TED Awareness Week!

SCHEDULE OF TED AWARENESS WEEK SESSIONS

Monday, November 9

Whole-Person Care: Why It Matters
Two hours | 4:00–6:00 PM PT / 7:00–9:00 PM ET

Hour 1 — The Patient Voice: Meet the TED Builders

Real Patients. Real Experiences. A Shared Vision for Whole-Person Care.

What happens when people living with Thyroid Eye Disease and Graves’ disease come together to imagine a better way forward?

In September, a remarkable group of TED patients traveled to Boston for a collaborative workshop hosted by Viridian Therapeutics. Their mission: to help shape TED Community’s new Whole-Person Care Program, drawing upon their own experiences, challenges, discoveries, and hopes for a better quality of life.

We’ll begin with a brief introduction to the Whole-Person Care Program and its guiding belief: There are meaningful things we can do to improve our wellbeing, alongside medical care, and we don’t have to do them alone.

Then, meet the TED Builders themselves! Each will share a little of their personal journey, introduce one of the important elements of Whole-Person Care—from nutrition and movement to emotional wellbeing, stress reduction, sleep, and becoming an informed partner in medical decisions—and explain how they believe these practices can make a difference in the lives of others.

These are not medical experts speaking from textbooks. They are people who understand what it means to live with TED and Graves’ disease, sharing what they’ve learned and what they hope to make possible for others.

Come meet the people helping to build a program rooted in lived experience, strengthened by community, and inspired by the belief that every person has a role in their own healing journey.

Everyone learns. Everyone teaches. Everyone contributes.

Hour 2 — Your Questions. Our Answers.

Let’s learn together!

Submit your most pressing question at the time of registration. The theme: “How can I participate in my own medical / healing journey?” This will enable us to explore the topics that are your highest priorities. And you can learn about what is important to others who are also diagnosed with TED / Graves’ Disease.

Facilitator:

Julienne ‘Julie’ Owens, MS, Patient Leader Certified: Julie is a 30-year educator, certified professional development trainer, advocate, and consultant. Her experiences with numerous health challenges, disappointments, and setbacks prepared her to do what she does best: advocate. Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Thyroid Eye Disease, Graves’ Disease, and Acromegaly are all medical diagnoses she’s all too familiar with, and, unfortunately, has first-hand experience as a collaborative caregiver and patient.

Medical Panel:

Dr. Ana Carolina Victoria, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist and oculofacial plastic, reconstructive, and orbital surgery specialist who treats Thyroid Eye Disease at the Center for Excellence in Eye Care in Miami, Florida.

Suzanne van Landingham, MD is an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she combines clinical care with research focused on vision and eye health. Her work integrates advanced medical expertise with a passion for improving outcomes for patients with complex eye conditions, including thyroid eye disease. She is passionate about educating the next generation of physicians, and mentoring residents, fellows, and medical students.

John Nguyen, MD is an ophthalmologist at the West Virginia University Eye Institute in Morgantown, West Virginia, specializing in the diagnosis and surgical management of orbital, eyelid, and lacrimal system disorders. His dedication to excellence in patient care and education has earned him the Outstanding Contribution Award from the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, the Academy of Excellence in Teaching & Learning at the WVU School of Medicine, and the Faculty of the Year Teaching Award from the WVU Department of Ophthalmology.

Tuesday, November 10

The Medical Perspective — Whole-Person Care for TED & Graves’ Disease
One hour | 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET

What if treating TED and Graves’ disease meant caring for the whole person, not just the disease?

Join Dr. Alon Kahana and Dr. Margarita Ochoa-Maya for an inspiring conversation about the importance and possibilities of Whole-Person Care alongside medical treatment.

The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Nathaniel Jellinek, MD, who brings a unique perspective as both a physician and a TED patient.

Together, they will explore how medical treatment and whole-person care can work hand in hand — recognizing the physical, emotional, social, and everyday challenges of living with TED and Graves’ disease.

We’ll consider how patients and physicians can become stronger partners in care, how lifestyle and wellbeing fit into the healing journey, and what a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach might look like.

Our shared goal: Helping people move beyond managing a disease toward reclaiming their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

Facilitator:

Dr. Nathaniel Jellinek, MD (TED patient & physician)
Dr. Nathaniel Jellinek is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, as well as a patient with thyroid eye disease. Dr. Jellinek has shared his story and presented at the United States House of Representatives in support of TED funding. He is actively involved in patient advocacy, having an ongoing battle with TED and negotiating insurance/payor roadblocks and challenges, among other issues.

Medical Panel:

Dr. Alon Kahana, MD, PhD
Dr. Alon Kahana is Professor of Oculoplastic Surgery and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, and founder of Kahana Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery in Michigan. A leading international authority on Thyroid Eye Disease and orbital surgery, he combines pioneering research and clinical care—ranging from TED to complex orbital reconstructive cases—with training oculoplastic and orbital surgery fellows, academic leadership, and chief editorial service. He is also a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials related to thyroid eye disease.

Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD
Dr. Margarita Ochoa-Maya is a board-certified endocrinologist with extensive experience in rare diseases, including Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). Trained at Harvard and Boston University, she currently serves as a Medical Director at Amgen Rare Disease Business Unit. A passionate advocate, she partners with patients and caregivers to amplify the patient voice, support education, and drive more compassionate, patient-centered care. Known for her patient-centered approach, she combines deep clinical expertise with a passion for education and advocacy, empowering individuals to take an active role in their health.

Wednesday, November 11

TED Support Group — How Whole-Person Care Empowers Patients
One hour | 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET

Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do is listen, share, and discover that we have agency in our own healing journey! Join our welcoming, peer-led Support Group as we explore whole-person care. This evening’s topic below.

The Voice in Your Head – From Inner Critic to Supportive Friend

We all have a voice in our head! It is a running conversation with ourselves that can influence how we feel, what we believe, and how we navigate life’s challenges. When living with TED or Graves’ disease, that voice can sometimes become critical, fearful, or discouraging. But what if we could learn to recognize it, gently guide it, and transform it into a source of kindness, courage, and encouragement? Together, we’ll explore the power of self-talk, how to become more aware of our inner dialogue, and how small shifts in the way we speak to ourselves can support our emotional wellbeing and healing journey. What if we could learn to speak to ourselves as we would someone we dearly love?

Support Group Facilitators: Chesna Duffy Adams, Christine Gustafson, Susan Roberts, Pharm.D.

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Thursday, November 12

One Story. Many Lenses. — Discovering New Possibilities Through AI
One hour | 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET

What happens when we look at our own story through a different lens?

Using a simple Storytelling Workshop fact sheet and guided AI prompts, we’ll explore how our experiences can be viewed through resilience, relationships, identity, personal growth, and future possibilities.

We’ll share what we discover and consider a powerful question:
If I see my story differently, might I also see new choices for my future?

No AI experience is necessary. Participation and sharing are optional, and we’ll offer guidance for protecting personal information.

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Friday, November 13

TED ART — My Whole-Person Life
One hour | 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET

Let’s close our week with creativity, reflection, and possibility! This session is led by Sophie Restall, an Art Therapist (ATR-P) and an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) with a passion for using creative expression to help people flourish. Sophie facilitates one of our two monthly TED ART & Creative Studio sessions.

My Whole Person Life: Creative Strength Tree

Utilizing the symbol of a tree, we will explore the people, places, experiences, and everyday moments that help us feel grounded, connected, and whole. From the roots that nourish and support us to the leaves that represent small moments of joy and comfort, trees offer a beautiful metaphor for the many things that contribute to our strength and wellbeing. No artistic experience is needed! From a pen and napkin to a canvas and paint, any art supplies can be used to participate.

Thank you for supporting our innovative educational work on behalf of all those affected by thyroid eye disease!

A special thanks to Leapcure for hosting the platform for CONNECTED 2026.