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Nancy Harris Bonk

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By Editorial Team

2 min read

Migraine Community Advocate Nancy Harris BonkNancy Harris Bonk is a resilient and dedicated Patient Leader in the migraine and headache community committed to empowering individuals to take an active role in their healthcare experience.

Nancy has navigated life with migraine disease since her teens, a condition that has shaped her perspective and fueled her passion for advocacy. In 1996, a pivotal moment altered the trajectory of Nancy’s life when a slip in her driveway resulted in a traumatic brain injury. This incident triggered persistent head and neck pain, adding to her health challenges, including Sjogren's disease, mixed connective tissue disease, hypothyroidism, anxiety, intracranial hypertension, and fibromyalgia. Rather than succumbing to these challenges, she has opted to channel these experiences into a purposeful mission, sharing her lived experience within the migraine and headache community.

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In 2003, Nancy began her career in the headache/migraine community as a moderator for the About.com Health Central (now Remedy Health) migraine discussion forum. That role evolved into becoming a Health Central Health Guide/Community Manager. In 2011, Nancy joined Health Union's Migraine.com team, contributing her lived experience and moderator skills. Nancy founded the Western New York Migraine/Headache Disorder Support Group, the first local in-person support group in Buffalo, N.Y. Her dedication was recognized when she was nominated for the 2012 WEGO Health Activist Unsung Hero Award. In 2023, Chronic Migraine Awareness recognized Nancy for her work with the migraine community.

Nancy served as the COO/VP of Chronic Migraine Awareness, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to amplifying the voice of the chronic migraine community for ten years, is a US Pain Foundation trained support group leader, a board member of the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy, a member of the National Headache Foundation's Patient Leadership Council, and served as a PCORI Merit Reviewer for the Migraine Prevention Panel.

She is a member of the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP) serving on the Disparities in Headache Advisory Council (DiHAC), a cross-functional group of patient advocacy organization leaders, BIPOC headache patients, queer headache patients and healthcare providers. DiHAC is tasked with identifying and supporting solutions to all health disparities in headache medicine and diversifying the headache patient community.

Nancy’s passion lies in collaborative initiatives with fellow patients, health advocates, diverse patient leaders and the medical community to drive awareness and positive change within the migraine and headache disease community.

Nancy is committed to fostering a community where individuals facing similar health challenges can find support, understanding, and the strength to advocate for themselves. Through Nancy’s lived experiences, she has learned that resilience and collaboration are powerful tools in the pursuit of a healthier and more compassionate world for those living with chronic illnesses.