Giving Good Days Newsletter – Summer 2026

A Message from Our President

Millions of individuals and families are navigating complex conditions that require ongoing care, consistent treatment, and significant financial resources. At Good Days, we are grateful to be able to offer a range of grant programs supporting patients across multiple disease states, helping to ensure that more people can access the care they need.

At the same time, we know that demand continues to exceed what current resources can support. This is especially true for individuals living with retinal disease. For many, treatment is not optional. It is essential to preserving vision, maintaining independence, and protecting quality of life. Yet the need for assistance through our Vascular and Neovascular Retinal Disease (VNRD) Copay Program continues to outpace available funding.

Every day, we hear from individuals who are doing everything they can to protect their sight, yet are forced to navigate overwhelming financial barriers. These are real decisions that no one should have to make.

That is why I am especially grateful to share that the Macular Degeneration Association has contributed $120,000 to support our VNRD Copay Program. This generous gift will be matched dollar for dollar by another committed donor, doubling its impact and helping us reach even more people in need.

Moments like this demonstrate what is possible when partners come together with a shared commitment to patients. But they also underscore how much more work remains. Sustained support is essential to ensure that individuals can access the treatments they depend on.

In addition to this critical work, Good Days is preparing to lead Chronic Disease Day once again on July 10. This year, we will convene leaders, partners, and advocates through events in Boston and Washington, DC, and launch a range of free public educational resources designed to raise awareness and drive action. Chronic diseases remain the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and advancing access to care must remain a national priority.

To those we serve, please know that you are at the center of everything we do. And to our donors and partners, thank you for making this work possible.

With your continued support, we can ensure that more individuals receive the care they need, when they need it most.

With gratitude,

Clorinda Walley

President, Good Days

When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient

For 19 years, Linda Anderson has supported patients at Good Days, helping them navigate diagnoses, find the right care, and access financial assistance. This year, she found herself on that same journey.

In May 2024, Linda started feeling physically sick. She lost 20 pounds, had trouble seeing, and felt like she had no control over how her body was reacting. She went from doctor to doctor and even the ER, but for nearly a year, she had no answers.

“I knew something wasn’t right,” she says. “But no one could tell me what it was.”

Everything changed after she saw a Good Days Instagram post on thyroid disease in January 2025.

“That post helped me find my happiness again,” Linda says. “It led me to the right doctor.”

She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and thyroid eye disease in April 2025, a serious condition that can lead to heart and liver failure if not treated. This time, she found a specialist who listened, acted quickly, and connected her to the care she needed, including an ophthalmologist when her vision was affected.

Because of her years at Good Days, Linda knew how to advocate for herself.

“If something doesn’t feel right, you have to keep pushing. Get a second opinion,” she says. “Because I knew the process, I was not scared.”

She also knew help was available. Through a copay assistance program, she connected with a counselor who turned out to be her former manager.

“I knew there were programs that would help. I just wanted to feel like myself again,” she says.

Now undergoing treatment, Linda is already seeing results.

“I could tell a difference in 10 days from my first treatment,” she says. “My heart isn’t racing. I’m not burning up. I feel normal again.”

Today, she’s sharing her story to encourage others to speak up, seek answers, and advocate for themselves.

“Good Days saved my life,” Linda says. “It gave me an answer and a direction. When you feel backed into a corner, you can still go forward. You just have to keep pushing.”

Chronic Disease Day 2026

Chronic Disease Day, observed annually on July 10 (7/10), is a national awareness and advocacy initiative dedicated to addressing the significant impact of chronic diseases in the United States.
The date underscores a critical statistic: seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S. are caused by chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which collectively claim more than 1.7 million lives each year.

Established and led by Good Days since 2014, the initiative focuses on the urgent need to reduce preventable chronic conditions, which account for over 90 percent of U.S. healthcare spending. Chronic Disease Day brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders—including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, advocacy organizations, industry and policymakers—to drive awareness, improve access to care, and advance policy solutions that lead to better health outcomes.

To help bolster our efforts, Good Days also established the Chronic Disease Alliance, which unites more than two dozen national patient advocacy organizations, secures official state and city recognitions, and delivers a high-impact communications strategy that generates millions of social media impressions annually.

Chronic Disease Day serves as a critical platform to elevate awareness, promote prevention, and catalyze collective action to reduce the burden of chronic disease nationwide. Visit ChronicDiseaseDay.org to learn more about this initiative, get free educational resources for your wellness journey, and join the movement to share who you stay strong for.

We hope you will join us in building healthier communities and expanding access to care.

Key Quarterly Content

New Podcast Highlights Growing Need in Eye Care
 In a recent episode of RetinUp, a podcast focused on retina science and ophthalmology, Clorinda Walley speaks to the rising demand for assistance with retinal disease treatments and the challenges of meeting that need. The discussion underscores why continued support for programs like Good Days’ VNRD Copay Program is so critical to ensuring patients can access care.

RetinUp can be found wherever you get your podcasts, on YouTube, or at RetinUp.com.

Advancing Compassionate, Whole-Person Care
In a recent episode of the Acuity + Acumen Podcast, Clorinda Walley shares how empathy, leadership, and innovation can help address the full spectrum of challenges patients face. From financial barriers to care and access to treatment, to food insecurity, transportation, and national advocacy through Chronic Disease Day, the conversation highlights what it truly means to support the whole patient journey.

Hosted by Deanna Armstrong, this episode is a must-listen for those committed to advancing compassionate, patient-centered care. Acuity + Acumen is available wherever you get your podcasts.