Cynthia Adinig (born 1985) is an African-American healthcare equity activist.[1][2][3] She is based in Northern Virginia.[4]

Cynthia Adinig
Born (1985-05-24) May 24, 1985 (age 39)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationCo-Founder BIPOC Equity Agency
Known forLong Covid & ME/CFS Health Equity Advocacy
Board member ofSolve ME/CFS Initiative
ChildrenAiden Adinig
RelativesChris Henry (wide receiver) (step-brother)
Websitewww.cynthiaadinig.com

Personal life

edit

Adinig grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her step-brother was NFL player Chris Henry.[5] In 2016, only a few months after her son's first birthday, her sister, Shari Lee died from renal failure at 37 years old.[5] Her sister and step brother's death helped to further catalyze Cynthia's involvement improving healthcare and health equity for communities of color.[6]

Adinig's son Aiden Adinig, became known as a math prodigy at only 3 years old.[7] He developed Long COVID at 4 years old. He became a member of Mensa International at 5 years old.[8]

Career

edit

Adinig's advocacy in Long COVID began after being threatened with arrest while seeking care for serious long COVID complications, that she filmed live, that was eventually featured in The Washington Post.[9] She is part of the team that helped developed legislative language for the COVID-19 Long Haulers Act,[10] and she spoke alongside the bills sponsors Rep. Don Beyer and Rep. Jack Bergman at the press conference of the unveiling of the bill. She also met with Senator Tim Kaine's and Ayanna Pressley's teams for their Long COVID legislation as well.[8]

Adinig is featured in, a Long COVID and ME/CFS documentary, three-part series: Long Haul Voices: Living with Long Covid and ME/CFS.[11]

Adinig co-founded BIPOC Equity Agency, a consulting agency advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities, that specializes in research and healthcare.[12]

She is also on the advisory boards of Consuli,[13] and Wail of A Tail.[14] She is a board member of the Solve ME/CFS Initiative (Solve M.E.).[15]

Adinig has worked with a variety of Long COVID and MECFS advocacy organizations, most notably the Covid-19 Longhaulers Advocacy Project and #MEACTION.[16]

She has also helped inform members of congress about long COVID, including working on the team that helped developed legislative language for the Covid-19 Longhaulers Act.[17]

In 2021, Adinig testified before the United States House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, about her experience with racism, while seeking treatment for Long COVID.[18] She has also met with NIH RECOVER directors, including during their Long COVID listening session [19]

In 2022, Adinig appeared alongside Peter C. Rowe in a satellite media tour.[20]

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Prior, Ryan (2022). The Long Haul. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781637581421.
  2. ^ "Black Women Are Fighting For Recognition as Long COVID Patients". Time. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  3. ^ "'Wild West' of Long Covid Clinics Ripe For Biden Crackdown". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  4. ^ "We've only just begun to examine the racial disparities of long covid". MIT Technology Review.
  5. ^ a b "Shari Louise Lee Obituary". Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  6. ^ Gardenhire-Mills, Barbara Anne (2022-08-23). "What The Why?!? with Cynthia Adinig". RVN Television. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  7. ^ "This 3-year-old whiz kid from DC might be better at math than you are". WUSA9. 2022-12-17. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  8. ^ a b "HHRG-117 Witness Bio" (PDF).
  9. ^ Sitz, Lindsey (February 2, 2021). "Why this Black woman with 'long covid' feels the medical community has failed her". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ "Beyer, Bergman Announce Introduction Of Bipartisan COVID-19 Long Haulers Act". 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  11. ^ "Long Haul Voices". Unfixed Media. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  12. ^ "Is Long COVID the Next Public Health Emergency?". Milken Institute. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
  13. ^ "About Us". consuli. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  14. ^ "Wail Of A Tale | Making Waves for Social Change". www.wailofatale.org. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  15. ^ "Board of Directors". Solve ME/CFS Initiative. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  16. ^ #MEAction (2022-05-25). "#MillionsMissing MAY 2022 Wrap Up". #MEAction Network. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  17. ^ "Beyer, Bergman Announce Introduction Of Bipartisan COVID-19 Long Haulers Act". U.S. Representative Don Beyer. 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  18. ^ "Understanding and Addressing Long COVID and Its Consequences". House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  19. ^ NIH RECOVER Listening Session - June 2021, 2021-06-02, retrieved 2022-11-15
  20. ^ Vahradyan, Ani (2022-10-26). "Solve M.E. Experts Join National Media Tour to Raise Awareness of Long Covid, ME/CFS, and Post-Infection Diseases". Solve ME/CFS Initiative. Retrieved 2022-11-15.