This conversation re-introduces us to Sober Livers Founder/Visionary Jenn Jones and introduces us to Beth Lehman, Principal Strategic Advisor to Sober Livers and HOPE, a multi-element patient support program for people who have harmed their livers though ALD.
As this conversation starts, we meet Beth Lehman, Principal Strategic Advisor for Sober LIvers, who discusses her disease background and personal history, and adds one thing we might not know about her otherwise.
After we meet Beth, Roger introduces the topic by discussing how the new nomenclature has broadened stakeholders’ view of liver disease by incorporating alcohol into the vision of steatotic liver disease through ALD and MetALD. In the aftermath of the new nomenclature uptake, Sober LIvers joined forced with the Fatty Liver Foundation and came to SurfingMASH’s attention this way.
Jenn introduces HOPE, which stands for Healing Others with Peers and Education, an organization that provides peer support for people living with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or AUD in remission, while simultaneously advocating for “people to understand the disease better.” Some peers will be living with cirrhosis, while others will be post-transplant. Patients may also have a metabolic system issue.
After sharing how hard it was for her to confront her truth, Beth notes that while she has been involved in several different programs, none have had subgroups for people who harmed their bodies through consumption of alcohol…which is why she believes this group is needed so badly.