Our Story
Roxanne Black is the Founder and Executive Director of Friends' Health Connection.
When she was 15 years old, she was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause damage to vital organs of the body. In 1990, lupus attacked Roxanne's kidney functioning. After self-administering dialysis five times per day for nearly two years, Roxanne received a kidney transplant. Her oldest sister was the donor.
At the time of her diagnosis, Roxanne felt a strong desire to locate another lupus patient her age. She wanted to communicate with someone who could truly relate to her feelings. In her attempt to locate another teenager with lupus, she discovered the need for a support network to connect people who are the same age and who have the same health problems. As a result, she created Friends' Health Connection out of her dorm room at the age of 17 during her freshman year at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Since then, Friends' Health Connection has grown into an internationally recognized organization that has touched the lives of thousands of people.
Along the way, Roxanne, who received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers, has earned several honors for her efforts. She was appointed the 268th Daily Point of Light by former President George Bush, received a medal from former United States Senator Bill Bradley, and was honored with both the Sea Breeze Salutes Young America award and the Jefferson Award for Service. While in college, she was named by USA Today as one of the top eighteen college students in the nation. She has also earned awards from the New Jersey Hospital Public Relations and Marketing Association, the Public Relations Society of America and the National Speaker's Association.
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Read more about Roxanne's story in her book, Unexpected Blessings, published by Penguin Putnam/Avery Books.
For more info, visit www.roxanneblack.com
Our Story
Roxanne Black is the Founder and Executive Director of Friends' Health Connection.
When she was 15 years old, she was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause damage to vital organs of the body. In 1990, lupus attacked Roxanne's kidney functioning. After self-administering dialysis five times per day for nearly two years, Roxanne received a kidney transplant. Her oldest sister was the donor.
At the time of her diagnosis, Roxanne felt a strong desire to locate another lupus patient her age. She wanted to communicate with someone who could truly relate to her feelings. In her attempt to locate another teenager with lupus, she discovered the need for a support network to connect people who are the same age and who have the same health problems. As a result, she created Friends' Health Connection out of her dorm room at the age of 17 during her freshman year at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Since then, Friends' Health Connection has grown into an internationally recognized organization that has touched the lives of thousands of people.
Along the way, Roxanne, who received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers, has earned several honors for her efforts. She was appointed the 268th Daily Point of Light by former President George Bush, received a medal from former United States Senator Bill Bradley, and was honored with both the Sea Breeze Salutes Young America award and the Jefferson Award for Service. While in college, she was named by USA Today as one of the top eighteen college students in the nation. She has also earned awards from the New Jersey Hospital Public Relations and Marketing Association, the Public Relations Society of America and the National Speaker's Association.
​
Read more about Roxanne's story in her book, Unexpected Blessings, published by Penguin Putnam/Avery Books.
For more info, visit www.roxanneblack.com