Ralph Colasanti, CAF National President
“The fact that I am able to serve in this capacity speaks to the tremendous efforts of The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation throughout the years.” – Ralph Colasanti, National President
NEW YORK (PRWEB)
April 27, 2022
History was made today at the annual board meeting of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF) when Ralph Colasanti was elected the first person with thalassemia to serve as National President of the Foundation’s board of directors. The Foundation, which was started in 1954, is the primary voice for those with thalassemia, a group of genetic disorders, one of which is also called Cooley’s anemia. People with severe forms of the disease require lifelong blood transfusions as often as every 2 weeks and often beginning in infancy.
“We are very pleased to have reached this historic moment and know that Ralph’s talents, skills, knowledge, and expertise will serve him well in this position,” says Peter Chieco, immediate Past National President of CAF. “Of equal importance, being a patient himself will provide a fresh perspective. No matter how deep the connection that I and our previous Presidents have with the thalassemia community, it is not quite the same experience as actually being a person who was born with and has lived with thalassemia for their entire lives.”
“The fact that I am able to serve in this capacity speaks to the tremendous efforts of The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation throughout the years,” says Ralph Colasanti. “Those that served before me helped propel many advances in the field of thalassemia over the last 20-30 years. Their commitment, with support from our donors, brought forth dedicated clinicians and researchers who are experts in thalassemia, not only advancing our quality of life but the most important quality of life. These medical advances and the need for a safe blood supply are tirelessly promoted and supported by CAF.
“When I was diagnosed, the outlook was grim, a life expectancy into my late teens, early twenties, with many warning me that living a normal life – having a family, working, living very far into my adult years – was not likely, but faith brought me all that and more. And while there are still many mountains a person with thalassemia has to climb, we now are in a position where a well-managed patient can enjoy many of the same things as a person not living with thalassemia. It’s a challenge, but I and others like me have learned to never give up. And definitely don’t stop believing!”
Ralph is a financial coach and IT consultant at Holy Angels School. He and his wife are the parents of a son and a daughter and recently welcomed their first grandchild.
About thalassemia
Thalassemia is the name of a group of genetic blood disorders in which the body’s ability to deliver oxygen via hemoglobin is impacted.
Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying component of the red blood cells. It consists of two different proteins, an alpha and a beta. If the body doesn’t produce enough of either of these two proteins, the red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen. The result is anemia that begins in early childhood and lasts throughout life.
About the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation
The Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is dedicated to serving people afflicted with various forms of thalassemia, most notably the major form of this genetic blood disease, Cooley’s anemia/thalassemia major.
The mission of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation is to increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for those impacted by thalassemia, a class of genetic blood disorders, most of which require regular blood transfusions and aggressive management of chronic iron overload, the predominant cause of early death. We do so by funding medical research to advance treatment and curative approaches, by supporting and advising patients and their families and advocating on their behalf and by educating medical professionals and the general public.
Every day, we strive for longer and healthier lives for all patients with thalassemia until a universal cure is found.
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