Living With XXY December Newsletter

From Our Founder

Welcome Back to the Living with XXY Newsletter!

Thank you all for your continued support as I take time to focus on self-care during an especially busy time of year. I have always tried to openly share my experiences with the community—and this time was no different. Yes, sharing about mental health is vulnerable. But that vulnerability brings support, new ideas, and a sense of connectedness. No matter what we are facing, we are not alone.

As I reflect on the last year, I’m proud of all we have accomplished, the connections we’ve made, and most importantly our community. Thank you all for an amazing 2023 and I look forward to continuing this important work in 2024.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!

-Ryan Bregante

In This Issue:

COMMUNITY NEWS
MAKING AN IMPACT
MATCHING GRANT UPDATES
LOOKING BACK TO LOOK AHEAD
RESEARCH CORNER
STAY CONNECTED

Hi, I’m Carrie, a freelance writer based in Northern California. My expertise is writing about infertility and the many tangents that radiate from that experience. My trademark is vulnerable and authentic writing.

In between coffee, bird watching, cooking, tea drinking, and dog snuggles, I spend my days learning about others and how their stories shape their lives. I’m on Instagram @_bloomingwithcare — come say hello and connect!

Making an Impact

Nucleus Medical Media is a distinguished creator of medical illustrations worldwide, reaching millions each month across online, print, and broadcast channels. They aim to improve health literacy, and their dedication is exemplified by their compassionate and accurate portrayal of this community.

After our first contact regarding one of the inaccurate, worst-case scenario images we’d all grown too accustomed to seeing online, Nucleus committed their time and resources — free of charge — to act as catalysts for positive change and education for our community.

From co-founder Ron Collins to senior medical illustrator Leslie Leonard, they immediately understood our concerns and worked to not only remove the inaccurate image but also create updated illustrations that reflect our diverse community. Together we also incorporated updated studies and data into supporting text. This valuable collaboration emphasizes our community's strengths and positive traits for the first time.

Many thanks to our dedicated team — including Dr. Shanlee Davis, Jennifer Voige, and Ryan — who with Leslie, collaborated tirelessly to establish the "gold standard" of illustrations. This benchmark will help guide future conversations with illustrators and the medical community to hold them accountable for accurately representing our community.

Nucleus’ comprehensive illustrations will save lives, give peace to new parents and families, and empower males living with XXY. Thank you Nucleus for illuminating a path to reshape how the world perceives XXY.

"We hope the Klinefelter community is successful in its mission to change misconceptions of XXY patients, as you did with our team." — Ron Collins, Co-Founder, Nucleus Medical Media

"Excited to share these illustrations as a beacon of positive change for Klinefelter awareness!" — Nucleus Medical Media Announcement

2023 Matching Grant Updates

We’ve spent the last few months inching slowly towards a fundraising goal of $30,000. If we raise $30,000, we will receive a generous $30,000 matching donation! Our total as of today is $28,061.92. We are SO CLOSE!

Because of your generous donations, Living with XXY will be able to continue the work of sharing the way the world learns about Klinefelter syndrome. On behalf of future pregnant mothers seeking support; newly diagnosed kids and adults; caring friends and partners; compassionate professionals and the Living with XXY team — THANK YOU!