Pat Garcia-Gonzalez

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For 15 years, Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of The Max Foundation has been dedicated to improving the lives of cancer survivors around the world. Pat is co-founder of The Max Foundation, started in1997 in honor of her step-son, Max. Max was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at the age of 14. He survived until the age of 17, and his legacy lives on in the hearts of thousands of cancer survivors whose lives have been touched by the organization. Under Pat’s direction since 2005, The Max Foundation has expanded its mission and today is dedicated to increasing global access to treatment, care and support for people living with cancer.

The organization has provided free services to over 75,000 patients in over 120 countries and has successfully partnered with patient and community leaders to provide services to patients in low and middle-income countries through the creation and support of patient organizations. Today the Max Global Network has more than 70 partner organizations. Pat has played an integral role in expanding access to treatment and diagnostics for people living with cancer worldwide. She has led The Max Foundation informing a wide array of public/private partnerships, developed a robust delivery system to support named-patients access programs; established and led global anti-stigma campaigns, and developed a network of patient associations worldwide. At present, Pat is a member of the CML Advocates Network steering committee, the advisory board for the International CML Foundation and a member of the Board of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations.

In 2008, Pat was awarded the distinguished honor of the Golden Tennis Shoe Award from United States Senator, Patty Murray for her service and dedication to her community. Pat was the first recipient of the National Cancer Institute Global Cancer Medicine Humanitarian Award given in March of 2015. In 2015, she was awarded the inaugural Emerging Regions Support and Partnership (ERSAP) Prize by the International CML Foundation for her role in leading The Max Foundation, as well as her personal commitment to helping people around the world face cancer with dignity and hope. A native of Argentina, Pat has a Master’s Degree from the University of Washington and a technical degree in nursing.