Cindy's Story

 I am the President of the Thyroid Awareness Foundation, a 501c3 Non-Profit founded in 2010. This came as a result of a near-death experience that I had on February 1st of that same year. I collapsed of sudden cardiac arrest with no warning, signs or symptoms at the age of 35. I was given CPR and the paramedics shocked me five times and then rushed me to the hospital. I was in a coma for a week and the final diagnosis was that I had suffered a Thyroid Storm, the rarest and deadliest form of thyroid condition. While in the hospital, it was determined that implanting a defibrillator was the best way to ensure that this did not happen again. I eventually had my thyroid removed and now regulate it with medication.

After my episode, I realized that there was minimal information available regarding thyroid conditions. I had no idea what that little butterfly-shaped gland in my neck was capable of!

The Thyroid Awareness Foundation's goal is to simply make others aware of the thyroid. We want the public to know how important it is to the function of our entire bodies, to encourage people to talk to their doctor and make sure that they get their thyroid checked regularly. We do this mainly through social media and participating in health fairs. Needless to say, I am passionate about this because it nearly took my life. If I had not been in the right place at the right time, I would not be here today.

We want to inform as many people as possible that the thyroid is something that needs to be taken care of and not ignored.

We have a small Board of Directors who all volunteer. We use donations to purchase at-home test kits to be given out to anyone who would like one. They can securely send in the sample to a lab and the results are sent back directly to the requestor. We simply want to provide people with information to make them aware of the risks of an untreated thyroid condition.

I am thankful to still be here today. I am married to the love of my life, Scott, and am grateful for his unwavering love and support.

Cindy Dobbs