Board of Directors

Liz Molloy

Co-President

Liz Molloy is co-founder and co-president of Brighter Hope Foundation and a committed patient advocate for individuals and families worldwide affected by the rare diseases GACI and ARHR2 caused by ENPP1 Deficiency and ABCC6 Deficiency. She also collaborates with the Rare Diseases Clinical Trial Network (RDCTN) in Ireland and serves on the steering group of the global Rare Bone Disease Alliance (RBDA).  She has co-authored publications on these conditions, reflecting her commitment to advancing research, raising awareness, and supporting the development of treatments for ENPP1 Deficiency and ABCC6 Deficiency.

Christine O’Brien

Co-President

Christine lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and their 3 children.  She is no stranger to rare diseases as both of her oldest children have ENPP1 Deficiency, with her husband and son also having Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.  She is excited to help make Brighter Hope Foundation the kind of resource that she wished for back when her children were first diagnosed.

Photo of Anne Van Wyk

Anne Van Wyk

Director

Anne lives near Dallas, Texas with her husband Jerry and their 4 children.  Their journey with GACI / ARHR2 has been filled with deep heartache and great joy.  Anne sadly lost two sons to the disease in 2001 and 2010.  Her daughter, born in 2013, is a survivor of the disease and is an outgoing and spunky girl who loves life.  Anne is honored to be a founding member of Brighter Hope Foundation and is thankful for the opportunity to help families around the world affected by this disease.

Michael Lemanski

Treasurer

Michael lives near Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and three children, two of whom are affected by GACI/ARHR2.  Until his children were diagnosed, Michael, like most people, had never heard of GACI/ARHR2.  He is one of the original founding members of Brighter Hope Foundation and he hopes that Brighter Hope Foundation is a positive resource for new families dealing with a GACI/ARHR2 diagnosis.

Catherine Nester

Director

Catherine Nester brings more than two decades of experience in biopharmaceutical leadership, with a proven record of building and leading global teams across diagnostics, medical affairs, field sales, and training. She has deep expertise in multiple therapeutic areas, including hematology, oncology, nephrology, neurology, endocrinology, hepatology, metabolic bone disease, and rare diseases. She most recently joined Abcuro as Vice President of Diagnostic Strategy and Healthcare Provider (HCP) Engagement.

Scott Borgstrom

Director

Scott has more than 20 years of IT leadership experience in the life sciences industry, driving digital transformation and building secure, scalable systems that meet the highest standards of compliance. He also founded a consumer product company that earned placement in a major national retailer. When not leading technology initiatives, Scott channels his competitive spirit into adventure racing, having competed in many U.S. national championship events.

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM

Donna Hicks

Secretary

Donna lives in England, UK, and she is a retired primary school teacher. She has two adult daughters, one of whom is affected by GACI/ARHR2. Her baby son passed away in 1990 due to GACI. When her first two children were diagnosed many years ago, information about this condition was extremely scarce, and understanding was very limited. She found herself isolated. Donna hopes to help Brighter Hope Foundation continue to be a place where those affected by GACI can gain understanding and support.

Our social media team

Vicki Dedeigbo

Events Committee

Vicki is the mother of 7 children and lives in Australia.  Vicki’s journey with GACI began in March 2002, back when it was known as IIAC.  Her daughter struggled immediately after birth.  She was diagnosed at 5 days old and sadly passed at 8 days from complete organ failure due to GACI.

In 2005, Vicki gave birth to her second daughter who suffered a heart attack at birth, receiving the same diagnosis as her older sister when she was 4 days old.  The medical team predicted the newborn would suffer the same outcome as her sister, however she defied the odds and responded to treatment with complete resolution of calcification noted by 3 months of age.  She is now 13.5 years old and has been clinically stable for many years now.  She is very academic and has very few limitations.  She doesn’t let anything hold her back!

Vicki is a founding member of Brighter Hope Foundation and is always happy to answer questions and share information with newly diagnosed families.

Anna Lemanski

Secretary

Jerry Van Wyk

Board Advisor

Jerry lives near Dallas, Texas with his wife Anne and their 4 children.  After losing two sons to GACI, Jerry was heartbroken to learn that his youngest child- a daughter- was also diagnosed with GACI.  Fortunately Jerry’s wife was able to begin treatment prenatally and their daughter is a healthy, happy 6 year old today.  Jerry is an original founding member of Brighter Hope Foundation and remains an advisor to the board.