At Team IMPACT, we often talk about the power of connection. Every day, we see how relationships built between children facing serious illness or disability and collegiate student-athletes create belonging, joy, and support that extends far beyond the game.
Last month, that same spirit of connection traveled to Washington, D.C., as Team IMPACT Fellows joined families and advocates from across the country for the Children’s Hospital Association’s (CHA)Family Advocacy Day (FAD). Together, they spent several days listening, learning, celebrating, and advocating for a future where every child has access to the care and support they deserve.
For our Fellows, FAD was much more than a trip to Capitol Hill. It was an opportunity to witness the resilience of children and families firsthand and better understand how advocacy can create meaningful change.
“Advocacy empowers,” said Sophia Meguid, University of Michigan Dance alumna and Team IMPACT Fellow who earned her spot as a CHA Fellow this summer. “FAD allows the voices of kids and families to fundamentally shape the future of pediatric healthcare in this country. By sharing their stories of hardship and triumph, more people are able to become allies. As Fellows, that is part of the reason it is so necessary to show up with a full heart and open mind.”
Throughout the event, Fellows listened as families shared their experiences navigating complex healthcare systems, balancing daily life with medical challenges, and advocating for the resources their children need to thrive. Those conversations stick with the Fellows—and hopefully lawmakers—long after FAD. “Participating in FAD is the culmination of everything you could hope for as a Team IMPACT Fellow,” said Anthony Hinton, former Duke football player and medical student. “Each year, we work tirelessly to help spread the word about Team Impact and engage our local hospitals, but FAD gives us the opportunity to address the root causes of some of the major challenges facing pediatric healthcare today. I am always grateful for the chance to help amplify the message of the families present, and in doing so, advocate for all of our matches across the country.”
“Having raw conversations with the kids and their families will leave a lasting impact on me. Hearing of their resilience and vitality through such difficult days while also gaining appreciation for their holistic identities—as students, real estate agents, bakers, musicians, you name it — was an honor,” Sophia reflected. “Whether we were playing card games or discussing the social determinants of health, the people at FAD were some of the best I have ever met.”
For some Fellows, the advocacy of this day was not only for the children but also advocacy on a personal level. “As a girl who was diagnosed with a chronic illness at 20 years old and spending a lot of my life being sick and not knowing what was wrong, I deeply empathize with these families,” said Maya Williams, who plays field hockey at Drexel University. “But for me, Team IMPACT is well beyond me. Days like FAD are important to families and Fellows because it allows us to put all of our resources together to make a true impact on peoples’ lives.”
For many Fellows pursuing careers in healthcare, the experience reinforced why patient-centered care matters. “I really think that these kids are impacting me more than I am impacting them,” said Stephen Michaels, a former Tufts football Fellow and a student at the Medical College of Georgia. “Getting the opportunity to see the power of great medicine reinforces my ‘why’ as a future physician and reminds me of the importance of compassionate, patient-centered care.“
“As a medical student, we talk a lot about ways to improve healthcare and interventions across different levels,” Anthony said. “FAD gives us the chance to make individual change by meeting so many wonderful families, but it also allows us to work towards the big, systems-level changes that can affect the future of healthcare.“
“Like the government representatives, we have a duty to learn from the kids and their families to think critically about our role in building a better future for everyone, not only through idealistic missions but through tangible actions,” Sophia said. “For many of the Fellows, we plan to pursue careers in healthcare. FAD gives us the chance to better understand the collaboration across systems through space and time that produce a healthcare experience for our future patients. No one exists in a vault.”
While advocacy was at the center of the event, some of the most meaningful moments happened when people just got to connect. For many of the Fellows, some of their favorite moments were from the Thursday night dance celebration with the families and other advocates. “Interacting with the kids and their families, hearing their stories, and bringing a good time to the end of their day was so meaningful to me,” said Davanee McNairy of Kent State lacrosse.
Anthony seconded the dance party love on Thursday night as equally memorable. “I love the opportunity to celebrate the hard work of the families,” he said. “Having the opportunity to help them around the Capitol and hear them share their experiences with so many different representatives is something that will stick with me for a long time to come.”
Those moments of laughter and celebration are a reminder of something Team IMPACT sees every day: children are far more than their diagnoses. “Seeing the strength of these children and the light they bring to the world and our teams is transformative,” Maya said. “Team IMPACT is an incredible organization that helps give these kids a sense of belonging and a place to forget their life worries.”
That sense of belonging is one of the reasons Team IMPACT’s presence at FAD matters. For Stephen, representing Team IMPACT at FAD helps demonstrate that pediatric healthcare extends beyond hospital walls. “Representing Team IMPACT at FAD furthers Team IMPACT’s identity as not an isolated social support program but as a program that has the ability to improve outcomes in all facets of a child’s life,” he said.
Davanee experienced that reality through her own Team IMPACT match. “My experience with my match has shown me how important both healthcare and social support are for children facing serious illnesses,” she shared. “I’ve seen firsthand how a sense of belonging, friendship, and inclusion can positively impact a child’s life alongside the medical care they receive. This has opened my eyes to how important advocacy is. It gives families a voice and helps create meaningful change that can improve the care, opportunities, and support available to children both now and in the future.”
FAD also reminded Fellows that advocacy is strongest when communities come together. “Events like FAD always provide me with a reminder that there is a community supporting us all,” Stephen said. “FAD is really the culmination of what Team IMPACT is all about,” Anthony continued. “It gives us the chance to advocate for children with chronic conditions at the highest level. Team IMPACT’s strength is in addressing many of the struggles that happen outside the walls of the hospital, and our three days in DC help us to both spread the word about our organization but also to enact the kind of widespread change in the system that would benefit our matches and their families.”
For Sophia, FAD reminds her that she has a platform and an opportunity to make a difference—and she doesn’t want to miss that opportunity. “Team IMPACT and FAD align in their missions and both center on the lived experiences of kids and families. Having representation is essential at FAD to exhibit the promise of inclusion and connection that Team IMPACT offers,” she said. “We hope that our presence shows families that there are communities like Team IMPACT ready to embrace their authentic stories and to shower their kids with unconditional love. As student-athletes, the inspiration we gain from the kids and families advocating at FAD encourages us to consider what impact we want to have and how to use our own platforms for good. Taking Team IMPACT to FAD not only allows us to reflect on our own experiences on our campuses, but also to think about how we can expand the reach of this program.”
At Team IMPACT, we believe connection has the power to transform lives, and FAD emphasizes the connection that comes when people advocate for one another. When families are given the opportunity to share their stories directly with lawmakers and leaders, their experiences become catalysts for change. When Fellows show up with open minds and open hearts, they become stronger advocates, future healthcare leaders, and lifelong allies.
Most importantly, Family Advocacy Day reminded us that every child deserves not only excellent medical care but also community, inclusion, and opportunities to simply be kids.
We are grateful to the Children’s Hospital Association for bringing together families, advocates, healthcare leaders, and partners committed to improving pediatric healthcare. And we are incredibly proud of our Fellows who represented Team IMPACT’s mission with compassion, commitment, and purpose.