Eashani knows firsthand the power of a shared experience. Growing up with Thalassemia, she noticed a lack of organized support for young people living with the genetic blood disorder. The experience was isolating and discouraging. Determined to build a community for others, Eashani began working with Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF) as a teen advocate, launching various outreach efforts to engage teens diagnosed with Thalassemia. Through online groups, a podcast, and sharing her story with organizations like Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the CDC, her persistence continues to let young people know they’re not alone.

“Being able to listen to someone talk about their experience in high school, or going through exactly what I’m going through, it just felt so freeing,” she said.

Her work has been so rewarding, Eashani hopes to double major in biochemistry and health policy after high school. She dreams of becoming a hematologist who conducts research to improve treatment and healthcare.

In addition to her advocacy work, Eashani is heavily involved in the McClintock High School Speech and Debate team as the Debate Representative, is President of the Peggy Payne Academy Senate, serves as a Youth Commissioner for the Tempe Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC), and mentors young dancers in a classical dance form from India (Bharatnatyam).

“We have a voice and even the smallest voice can have a profound impact,” she said.  “At the end of the day, the most powerful thing we can do is try.”