Becky Abbott Joins NFED Staff

I am pleased to announce that Becky Abbott, MPH, has joined our staff as Manager of Treatment and Research. You may know Becky as the volunteer co-chair of our Family-Driven Advocacy Committee. For the past few years, she has been a driving force in helping us get the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act introduced in Congress. She has raised awareness for ectodermal dysplasias and public health issues in her community for many years.

Becky received her Masters in Public Health from Benedictine University.  She has experience as a sales manager, public health consultant and rare disease advocate. Because of her personal experience with the ectodermal dysplasias, Becky is committed to our mission and brings her unique voice and skill set to the staff.

Our newest staffer lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Detective Thomas Abbott, and their two children, Aidan and Ryder. She has experienced first-hand challenges in getting Aidan (who is affected by x-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia) dental care.

As active advocates, Becky and her family share their personal experiences and insurance struggles to empower other families on their journey. They regularly meet with legislators on Capitol Hill and locally to discuss legislation that impacts the rare disease community.

“After years of battling with insurance denials for treatments for Aidan, I have made it my mission to fight for changes in legislation that will help families struggling with insurance coverage for teeth and related dental treatments due to congenital anomalies.

Her New Role

Becky will work with the various programs the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias offers to help families get the treatment they need. Besides mentoring families through the insurance process, she’ll also be working with families to apply for financial assistance through the Treatment Assistance Program. She will be instrumental in developing and managing our Dental Treatment Centers and Straumann Dental Implant Program. Also, Becky will help me with growing our research program to address the many unanswered questions we have about ectodermal dysplasias.

“I am blessed to be able to join an organization that continually advocates for and helps families through their innovative programs. Families should have access to the treatments they need and I am excited to work with families and provide support to help them in anyway I can.

When she’s not advocating, Becky enjoy spending time with her family, especially on trips to the Wisconsin Dells. She loves seeing her boys’ basketball games and cheering on the Milwaukee Bucks. With her Masters in public health, it’s no surprise that she’s passionate about reminding people to wash their hands and stay home when they are sick! That’s great advice for all of us.

Please join us in welcoming Becky! You can leave a message in the comments below or send her an email.