Informing with Ink: Listening to Patients Living with High Triglycerides in New Jersey

In early March, I traveled to New Jersey to partner with Ionis Pharmaceuticals for the third time. Each collaboration was centered around patient advisory work, but no two sessions feel the same, because the people in the room, and their stories, are always different.

This day was focused on individuals living with high triglycerides (TGs). From the start, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a surface-level conversation. People spoke openly about their path to diagnosis, often long, confusing, and sometimes frustrating. There were moments of uncertainty, of being dismissed, of trying to piece together information that didn’t always feel accessible or clear.

As the day unfolded, the conversations moved through how people find support, how they think about their condition today, and what still feels missing. What stood out to me wasn’t just the information, it was the emotional weight behind it. The trade-offs people make, the questions that don’t have easy answers, and the effort it takes to manage something that isn’t always visible to others.

My role in the room was to listen and draw. In real time, I translated these conversations into a visual story, capturing key themes, phrases, and moments as they happened. It’s a process that requires being fully present, trying to honor what’s said without filtering it too much, and making something that people can see themselves reflected in.

By the end of the day, the wall held a kind of collective journey. Not a single story, but many overlapping ones, shared experiences alongside very personal ones. Something that can live beyond the session and continue to carry those voices forward.

I’m grateful to Ionis for continuing to invite me into this work, and for the intention they bring to listening to people living with high TGs. It’s not just about gathering insights, it’s about creating space for people to be heard, and taking that seriously.