The international celebration fosters a sense of community support to reduce holiday season isolation for immunocompromised individuals and their loved ones

Immunocompromised Association welcomed in the new year with its inaugural, virtual New Year’s Eve (NYE) ball drop on December 31st from 7–9 PM ET.  It was open to immunocompromised individuals and their caregivers, healthcare providers, friends and family members from around the world. The event was free of charge thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, Invivyd and Ethical Factor Rx. Additional information can be found at https://thinkofmeplease.org/nye/.

The Immunocompromised Association NYE ball drop featured guest speakers and special presentations from the immunocompromised community including patient, caregiver and healthcare provider perspectives. Some presentations included:

• Francine Fox: founder & president of Immunocompromised Association
• Michelle Burleigh: representative of International Immunocompromised Advocacy Network, Canadian Immunocompromised advocacy Network and Immunocompromised People Are Not Expendable
• Madison Bowe: an advocate who has been immunocompromised since birth and lives with stiff person syndrome
• Nathan & Mendy Hood: immunocompromised family sharing their experiences
• Mendy Hood also joined us as a representative of Ethical Factor Rx
• Alan Ginsburg: kidney transplant recipient, real estate developer and philanthropist shared a pre-recorded video about being immunocompromised
• Carter Hemion: community engagement director shared upcoming events, Immunocompromised Association
• Regina Buchanan: advocacy & education coordinator
• Barry Friedman: board member, Immunocompromised Association
• Rahul Kheraj: secretary of the board, Immunocompromised Association
• Dr Layish: board member & medical advisor, Immunocompromised Association
• Daniel Washington: this surprise guest made a commitment to start hosting designated immunocompromised-friendly times every week at his business, North Country Bowling.

The NYE ball drop also included a Kahoot trivia game and surprise gift card giveaways. It featured dancing led by Audrey Messinger, accessible to individuals from their seated or lying down positions. The night finished with an animated ball drop and countdown celebrated by attendees singing Auld Lang Syne together as a community.

Immunocompromised Association was founded after multiple community members became seriously ill over the holidays when loved ones visited whilst unwell and contagious. Too often, immunocompromised individuals must choose between staying healthy or participating in everyday activities others may take for granted. As these community members connected, they found countless individuals with similar stories of frustration and vulnerability from others, unwittingly, putting their health at risk. The NYE ball drop aims to fill a gap in community programming to reduce isolation for the immunocompromised community during the holiday season with a safe and fun celebration. 

Founder and president of Immunocompromised Association, Francine Fox, said:

“Our dream for 2025 is to reach participants in the US and around the world to create celebrations filled with love, laughter and togetherness. Let’s make this a year to remember! My goal as Founder is to share how we can eliminate isolation. No one should be alone.”

The event was hosted over Zoom with ASL interpretation and live captioning. Interested individuals can sign up for our newsletter to learn about future game events, advocacy workshops, and peer support groups and follow us on social media.

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