Meet Amy Board

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Board.

Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was never meant to be anything other than an actress. I was introduced to the theatre young, and my natural abilities were so apparent my grandmother famously told my mother, “You know, that kid has it.” My parents sat through countless performances and paid for dance lessons, show choir costumes, summer workshops, tap shoes, and one great Annie wig. My high school teachers turned a blind eye when I handed in assignments incomplete or lacking, and one English teacher graciously gave me a D just so I could graduate. I was destined for a life on the stage, and I did just that, successfully, for about nine years. And then, I went to a summer camp for kids with hemophilia.

I don’t have hemophilia. Before that summer, I didn’t know anybody with hemophilia. But my experience there, in the middle of Texas, with seventeen teenagers whose blood didn’t clot properly, would change how I viewed my talents. It didn’t happen overnight, but I slowly detached from my life as an actress. After three years, I found myself going to grad school, working my ass off for a Non-Profit Management degree, and running the local chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation at the same time. I found that leadership was a form of acting. It required listening and empathy and, at times, a stage presence. But the hallmark of that period was the hemophilia community I grew alongside with. The brave mothers and the willful teenagers. To have a lifelong chronic disease with no cure is a battle to figure out how to make it not define you. It is an enormous weight.

In 2018, Patrick Lynch, the CEO of Believe Limited approached me about joining his team. Patrick, who has severe hemophilia A, co-founded Believe to create entertainment to affect change. Misplaced theatre kids, filmmakers, cinematographers, and editors make up the company and we make the most inventive and fun content imaginable for the rare disease community. Right now, we have clients in the hemophilia and von Willebrand space, as well as PK deficiency, sickle cell, thalassemia, Polycythemia Vera cancer, cystinosis, urea cycle disorder, and more. I’m proud to be the director of patient engagement, to use my nurtured empathy and a well-versed love of making people laugh to make patients feel seen. This job is a perfect blend of my things.

I’d like to believe that if my Grams was still alive, she would lean over my mother’s shoulder and whisper, “That kid still has it.”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been enormous challenges along the way, as in any journey. Although I wasn’t an anxious child, I developed an undiagnosed anxiety disorder in my late-20s. Anxiety wasn’t a word we used back then (I have aged myself with that one), so I was told I was allergic to the sulfides in wine and beer because my symptoms were stomach-related. When it escalated to a full-blown panic attack, it was over a decade later. My anxiety generated a distinct paralysis that was impossible to overcome on my own. It wasn’t until someone explained the mechanics of anxiety and why my body reacts the way it does that I began to manage it properly. I’ve now had loads of therapy (as one does) and learned my triggers, but more importantly, my relational style and how I show up in the world. My anxiety now is the way my body handles discomfort. I’ve realized it will never go away, but it is an indicator to me that I’m reacting to something. It’s made me more reflective and honest about my feeling, and for that, I’m grateful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I develop and write content for rare genetic diseases. In 2023, I am co-directing a documentary entitled On the Shoulders of Giants about the generation of hemophiliacs who survived the AIDS crisis. As a company, we developed The Science Fair, a large installation in the vein of “a middle school science fair on steroids” to teach kids about the scientific elements of the clotting cascade. This year, my favorite project was Speak Up, Speak Out, a spoken word program for teenagers with cystinosis. I cast the majority of our projects and enjoy the opportunity to hear and amplify patients’ and their caregiver’s stories.

I co-host The BloodStream podcast for the bleeding disorder community with my colleague, Patrick, and I’m currently editing my first novel.

How do you define success?
Success is in the eye of the beholder. I have a strong community around me and can explore my creativity freely. Feels pretty nice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.believeltd.com/
• Instagram: @boardo87
• Twitter: @board087
• Other: https://www.bloodstreammedia.com/

Image Credits
Rob Bradford, Drama del Rosario, Brad Reeb