Two Appointments. One Historic Shift in American Health.

MAHA Moments: When Zero Degrees of Separation Becomes Personal

This week, we witnessed something extraordinary: a turning point in American public health.

Two men I’ve admired deeply for years—Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya—have now officially stepped into two of the most influential positions in our nation’s health institutions. Dr. Makary has been sworn in as Director of the FDA, and Dr. Bhattacharya as Director of the NIH.

For those of us who’ve spent decades in the trenches—caregivers, mothers, researchers, and advocates—these appointments don’t just represent policy shifts. They represent hope. They represent truth. They represent science with a soul.

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A Moment of Hope: Dr. Marty Makary and the FDA

As a mother of two adult children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), I’ve spent most of my life navigating a system that often struggles to keep pace with the urgency and complexity of rare diseases. My son Jon underwent one of the rarest life-saving procedures in the world—a Total Pancreatectomy with Auto-Islet Cell Transplant—a surgery that only a handful of specialists, including Dr. Makary, are even capable of performing.

While Dr. Makary wasn’t Jon’s surgeon, his pioneering work became a cornerstone in my research during one of the hardest chapters of our lives. I followed his career long before he became nationally recognized. 12 years ago when my son had this procedure, at age 17, it was a 20-plus extremely invasive hour surgery. Now thanks to the advances in technique, thanks to surgeon Dr. Makary, and other talented colleagues of his, it is now often done through laparoscopy. I’ve spoken with patients who say they couldn’t have had a better healer in their darkest hour.

And today, as he steps into national leadership at the FDA, I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time—hope. Not just as a health advocate, but as a mother who—for the first time—believes her children may actually outlive her.

That was never our reality. Until now.

Thanks to groundbreaking drugs like Trikafta, the impossible has become possible. We were fortunate to find a rare CFTR mutation trial with Dr. JP Clancy at Cincinnati Children’s, funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In December 2020, we were offered a choice between three newly approved FDA drugs: Trikafta, Orkambi, and Kalydeco.

Since Jon began Trikafta in January 2021, his lung function soared from a declining 40% FEV1 to an incredible 87%. His sister Emily has maintained strong, full lung function—a blessing we never take for granted. Neither of them has been hospitalized since starting the medication. Jon has said goodbye to his 10-year-old port-a-cath and feeding tube. For a family that once faced four hospitalizations a year—this is a miracle.

But like all breakthroughs, it comes with complexity. These drugs also bring new long-term side effects: from cancers and psoriasis to diabetes, severe mental health struggles, and now, even obesity—once unheard of in CF. The battle is evolving, not over.

Still, I can now say something I never thought I would:

My children may very well outlive me.

We need more breakthroughs. We need urgency without bureaucracy, and innovation without fear. And we need an FDA that is bold enough to challenge stagnation while grounded enough to listen to the lived experiences of patients and families.

Congratulations, Dr. Makary. We are cheering you on—and ready to work with you to build a healthier, more hopeful America.

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A New Chapter: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and the NIH

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s appointment to the National Institutes of Health is equally profound—for different reasons, yet deeply aligned with the same call for transformation.

During the pandemic, I—like many others—watched as chronic illness patients were sidelined, silenced, and forgotten. Fear replaced reason. Dialogue was dismissed. Those who questioned the dominant narrative were cast out instead of heard. But Dr. Bhattacharya stood tall.

He spoke with compassion, data, and courage. He reminded us that public health is never one-size-fits-all—especially not for medically vulnerable people like my children. He argued for nuance, for empathy, and for protecting the most at-risk without sacrificing the well-being of everyone else. That message resonated deeply with me as a mother fighting for my children, and for a system that sees all of them—not just their diagnosis.

His presence at the helm of the NIH is a symbol of something we’ve been craving: scientific integrity with human insight.

Now is the time for the NIH to invest in bold research for rare diseases, nutritional science, preventative care, and real-world outcomes. It’s time to rebuild trust, especially among those who’ve lost it. And it’s time to let caregivers, parents, and patients be heard—not as anecdotes, but as essential partners in the process.

Dr. Bhattacharya knows this. And I believe he will bring that rare combination of brilliance and humility to the NIH.

Congratulations, Dr. Bhattacharya. You give us reason to believe again.

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Together, A New Era

The appointments of Dr. Makary and Dr. Bhattacharya are more than administrative milestones. They’re a signal to the American people—especially those of us who’ve spent years in the fight for better care, faster cures, and honest science—that we’re being heard.

We don’t want more red tape.

We want real reform.

We don’t need more messaging.

We need healing.

For my family—and for millions of others—this feels like the first glimmer of sunshine after a long storm.

Let’s not waste this moment. Let’s unite for transparency, innovation, and a future where health isn’t political—it’s personal, and it’s possible.

With all my heart,

Jacqueline Capriotti

Mother. Advocate. Believer in Miracles—and in what’s next.

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Jacqueline Capriotti is a mother to two adult children with cystic fibrosis. Her deeply personal journey through the world of rare disease and chronic illness led her to serve on the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Greater New Jersey Chapter, where she helped initiate the foundation’s caregiver support program. She played a key role in advocating for and contributing to the FDA approval of groundbreaking therapies—including Orkambi, Kalydeco, Trikafta, and Alyftrék—specifically for her children’s rare CFTR mutations.

Jacqueline is the Founder and CEO of Health Revolution USA, a public relations and strategy firm focused on health, agriculture, and community-based solutions. She also leads the Make New Jersey Healthy Again Coalition and the Victory Garden Alliance , a modern revival of the WWII-era Victory Gardens that once fed 40% of the country. Inspired by that legacy, Jacqueline’s work bridges personal experience, policy reform, and grassroots action with one clear mission: to make American healthcare—and our communities—human again. She lives in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where she raised her family and continues to advocate for change from the ground up.