Autumn Righino

Patient Advocate

Living with Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)

Autumn grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in New Mexico. As a child, she was diagnosed with severe asthma, including multiple life flights, and chronic sinus and ear issues that gave her an early understanding of navigating life with complex health challenges.

In 2014, after a cascade of symptoms, two ER visits, and a week in the hospital, she was diagnosed with EGPA at the Cleveland Clinic, followed by valve repair surgery in 2016.

In 2024, she faced a new chapter when she was diagnosed with metastasized thyroid cancer, undergoing two surgeries with the same determination that has defined her journey.

Autumn is a project manager, a meditator and meditation guide, and a certified health coach who walks alongside others navigating difficult diagnoses — bringing both experience and compassion to every conversation. Autumn finds joy in reading, traveling, exploring new cultures through food, and hiking the outdoors with her partner Jeremy and their pup McKenzie. She believes deeply in living fully — not in spite of everything she’s been through, but shaped by it.