HEALTHY HABITS
Youth advisory group iCAN brings a unique perspective to pediatric health care COMMUNITY Advocacy and Voice
TEENS IN SAN DIEGO AND AROUND THE WORLD are making their voices heard on important topics such as pediatric health care, clinical research and innovation. They’re part of a worldwide consortium of advisory groups called International Children’s Advisory Network, Inc. (iCAN), which was created to foster understanding within the research community about the pediatric health care experience. iCAN evolved from a youth advisory group for pediatric research formed by the National Institutes for Health Research in 2006. Now, there are around 35 chapters worldwide, including one at Rady Children’s with more than 30 members. “iCAN gives teens an opportunity to explore different avenues of the health
MEET iCAN’S LOCAL YOUTH LEADERS
Lindsay Carstairs, iCAN vice president and chapter cofounder
Hannah Eghtedari, iCAN president and chapter cofounder
Lindsay is a former Rady Children’s patient who got involved with iCAN to help other kids. She has a passion for advocacy and through iCAN gives a voice to other teens as well as helps the hospital that helped her. What has been your favorite memory from being a part of this organization? We have had so much fun at in-person events and doing community service to help Rady Children’s. One experience that has been most meaningful to me was spending time with children who have diabetes
at a recent health fair. Supporting these children and learning to understand and empathize with what they are experiencing was an incredible experience. I can’t wait to do more and be able to help other kids and teens. What surprised you most about being a part of this organization? When four of us started this chapter online over a year ago, we hoped we could grow it into something more. I never imagined we would end up with so many kids interested in becoming a part of iCAN!
Hannah was recruited by long-time friend Lindsay to start the chapter. She wanted to be more involved in teens’ hospital experiences and to give back to an establishment that had done so much for her. What has been your favorite memory from being a part of this organization? My favorite memory would be our summit planning meeting, which was the chapter’s first large in-person event and really solidified the idea that we would be hosting the summit this summer. It was our first chapter-wide, in-person event and really
began the process of bonding as a team. What has this experience taught you? This experience has taught me to use my voice. Upon joining, I learned to take initiative when creating a patient newsletter and gained better collaboration and communication skills as a result. Hearing patient feedback through Hospital team members has shown me how powerful my input and voice are, how they are valued and can spark change, inspiring me to use them more.
10 HEALTHY KIDS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023
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