ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT DANIELLE HALLER, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
Florida International University | Florida, United States | Advancing SDG 10 & UNAI 6
" Ever since the moment I learned about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, I knew I had to be a part of making them a reality. As an engaged student, motivated parent, and part of a community of PLWRD (People Living With a Rare Disease) I knew that I have to stand up for the 320 million globally who are Living Rare or are Medically Complex and need access to sustainable, all-inclusive and equitable medical care. I want to contribute to SDGs: 1, 3, 5, 10, & 16. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Everyone is Rare Collaboration
My name is Danielle Haller, and I am the founder of the Everyone is Rare Collaboration. I have contributed about 20 hours per week between March and October for this project, most of which were in meetings with advocacy groups.
The goal was by volunteering, we would learn and understand the deficit in rare disease and medically complex patient care and where it can be fixed.
The average time to diagnosis is anywhere between 7-12 years and 95% of rare diseases have no FDA-approved drug treatment. Some of us don’t have time to wait, so that is why we are acting now!
We’ve learned so far that we need access to affordable precision medicine care and that there is very little interest and funding toward it currently.
As of November 2021, the project has split into two separate groups. One is Danielle Haller, continuing her education to become a Master of Public Health to be able to change the way the medical system handles rare disease care. She will also become a doctor to specialize in connective tissue diseases in southeastern America.
The other part of the group is Rare Advocacy Movement (RAM) who is a group of activists who volunteer their time and expertise by working on lobbying for access to precision medicine care on a multi-state level in northeastern America.
We will do this by first pioneering the action it takes to diagnose early-on through precision medicine which saves lives by avoiding the lengthy diagnostic odyssey. Then we will prepare policies to be enacted that protect the data, dignity, and health of patients.
Furthermore, I will go on to educate health care practitioners on how to recognize the signs and symptoms or rare diseases, so they do not continue to go missed.
During the fellowship, my project was able to accomplish an outline for a white paper on the precision medicine protocols needed to advance research and funding toward specific populations with new algorithms and new technology. I was also able to learn more about non-profits and was motivated to continue my education.
About the Millennium Fellow
Danielle Haller is a Global Environmental Sustainability student who is studying her undergraduate degree at Florida International University. She has a passion for educating the public through community-based advocacy, public-speaking, research, and writing. She plans to pursue her MS in Environmental Public Health with a concentration on the investigation between the environment and genomics.
She is the current founder and lead of a global effort called the (EIRC) Everyone is Rare Collaboration, where she's advocating for Precision Medicine for the Rare Disease and Medically Complex communities who deserve all-inclusive, equitable access to sustainable medical care.
