When Donna G. was 42, she finally had a name for the symptoms that had been shaping her life for years. Dry eyes that made it hard to function. Dry mouth that made every meal a challenge. Fatigue that pushed her to the edge while raising two young kids. “You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know kind of the root cause,” she says. Getting to a Sjögren’s disease diagnosis took persistence and self-advocacy. Finding hope came next.
For years, Donna focused on managing her symptoms and learning what worked for her. Over time, she realized that helping herself also meant helping others. She wanted to be part of the effort to discover new treatment options and shorten the long road to diagnosis that so many patients face. That realization led Donna to join her first clinical trial more than a decade ago. Since then, she has participated in multiple studies, including one treatment that was Phase 2.
Through these experiences, she has gained both new insight and renewed hope.
I’ve had access to more researchers, more rheumatologists, more doctors who really are studying the details of Sjögren’s,” she says. “I feel like I’m coming out of the clinical trials better educated.
Donna is a vocal champion for clinical research. She will share her experiences during our seminar on November 8 called The Future of Sjögren's Treatments: A Patient Seminar on Emerging Therapies in Clinical Trials. Her message is straightforward: trials help patients today, and they help the entire community tomorrow.
Why Donna said yes to clinical trials
For Donna, saying yes to a clinical trial was about more than research. It was about access to better care, contributing to progress, and taking an active role in her own health.
She joined her first study because she believed progress depends on patient participation. Without data from people living with Sjögren’s, she says, new treatments will never move forward. Clinical trials have also given her access to specialists who deeply understand autoimmune disease and have the time to focus on her individual experience.
Each visit has helped her learn more about her condition and how her body responds to treatment. She also participates because she can, knowing that many others may not qualify because of health or logistical challenges. Donna feels a responsibility to represent the patient community and to encourage others to get involved when they can.
I don’t have any medical reason not to participate,” she says. “If we don’t step up as patients, we won’t have the data needed to develop new drugs.
And she has seen firsthand what progress can look like. “At one point, I could get both of my wedding rings back on my finger, because the inflammation in my fingers had gone down.” That moment reminded her that change is possible and worth working toward.
The good and the hard parts
Donna is open about the realities of participating in a clinical trial. Screening can take time, sometimes several weeks, and the process involves many tests and regular visits. It requires effort and planning, but participants receive clear schedules and ongoing communication from the study team, which helps make the commitment manageable.
For Donna, the experience is worth it. She appreciates the structure, the opportunity to ask questions, and the reassurance that she can stop participating at any time if her situation changes. That sense of choice makes her feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
Even when she did not qualify for a study, she found value in the process. The evaluations provided useful information about her overall health and helped her better understand how Sjögren’s affects her body.
She believes clinical trials are essential to improving care and developing future treatments. Every participant, she adds, plays a part in moving research forward. She also reminds others that every participant contributes something meaningful. “Well, it’s still data. It’s still important data to actually help the pharmaceutical company bring something… a new treatment to market.”
Join Donna and others on November 8
Register for our upcoming The Future of Sjögren’s Treatments Seminar to hear Donna’s story first-hand and to learn about what new treatments are in development, which trials are enrolling, and hear about the science that’s driving innovation in Sjögren’s care.
The Future of Sjögren's Treatments: A Patient Seminar on Emerging Therapies in Clinical Trials
Date: November 8
Time: 12 – 3 PM ET
Register now
For years, Donna focused on managing her symptoms and learning what worked for her. Over time, she realized that helping herself also meant helping others. She wanted to be part of the effort to discover new treatment options and shorten the long road to diagnosis that so many patients face. That realization led Donna to join her first clinical trial more than a decade ago. Since then, she has participated in multiple studies, including one treatment that was Phase 2.
Through these experiences, she has gained both new insight and renewed hope.
Donna is a vocal champion for clinical research. She will share her experiences during our seminar on November 8 called The Future of Sjögren's Treatments: A Patient Seminar on Emerging Therapies in Clinical Trials. Her message is straightforward: trials help patients today, and they help the entire community tomorrow.
Why Donna said yes to clinical trials
For Donna, saying yes to a clinical trial was about more than research. It was about access to better care, contributing to progress, and taking an active role in her own health.
She joined her first study because she believed progress depends on patient participation. Without data from people living with Sjögren’s, she says, new treatments will never move forward. Clinical trials have also given her access to specialists who deeply understand autoimmune disease and have the time to focus on her individual experience.
Each visit has helped her learn more about her condition and how her body responds to treatment. She also participates because she can, knowing that many others may not qualify because of health or logistical challenges. Donna feels a responsibility to represent the patient community and to encourage others to get involved when they can.
And she has seen firsthand what progress can look like. “At one point, I could get both of my wedding rings back on my finger, because the inflammation in my fingers had gone down.” That moment reminded her that change is possible and worth working toward.
The good and the hard parts
Donna is open about the realities of participating in a clinical trial. Screening can take time, sometimes several weeks, and the process involves many tests and regular visits. It requires effort and planning, but participants receive clear schedules and ongoing communication from the study team, which helps make the commitment manageable.
For Donna, the experience is worth it. She appreciates the structure, the opportunity to ask questions, and the reassurance that she can stop participating at any time if her situation changes. That sense of choice makes her feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
Even when she did not qualify for a study, she found value in the process. The evaluations provided useful information about her overall health and helped her better understand how Sjögren’s affects her body.
She believes clinical trials are essential to improving care and developing future treatments. Every participant, she adds, plays a part in moving research forward. She also reminds others that every participant contributes something meaningful. “Well, it’s still data. It’s still important data to actually help the pharmaceutical company bring something… a new treatment to market.”
Join Donna and others on November 8
Register for our upcoming The Future of Sjögren’s Treatments Seminar to hear Donna’s story first-hand and to learn about what new treatments are in development, which trials are enrolling, and hear about the science that’s driving innovation in Sjögren’s care.
The Future of Sjögren's Treatments: A Patient Seminar on Emerging Therapies in Clinical Trials
Date: November 8
Time: 12 – 3 PM ET
Register now