Finding a Rare Friend

In 2006, at the age of 29, Ben Munoz suffered a stroke from a rare condition known as arteriovenous malformation. One of the things that were critical in his treatment and recovery was the connection he was able to make with another person who had the same condition and had experienced what Munoz was going through. Munoz co-founded the nonprofit Ben’s Friends, which operates an expanding set of patient communities for people with specific rare conditions to connect and support each other. We spoke to Munoz, about his own experience with a rare condition, the role support from someone with his own condition has played, and his efforts to create a forum where patients with specific conditions can connect and provide support to each other.