Patient Navigator Blog

Hi, and welcome to the Patient Navigation corner of the ARENA2 study website. We’re glad you found us online and we’re even happier to have you visit our page.

With backgrounds in social work, education, and psychology our Patient Navigation Team is equipped with the tools necessary to support you through the study. From educating you about the basics of clinical studies and ARENA2 to providing you with strategies to best handle the study activities and tests to checking in with you virtually every week to make sure everything is running smoothly in the trial.

We have navigators fluent in English, Spanish, and French to better serve your needs.

We will also work with your study coordinators and your physician at your study sites to ensure that you receive coordinated support.

Arilix, Danielle, and I are excited to get to know you all better and support you on this journey!

-Kim

Advice on

Needle Phobia: What it is, what it isn’t and how to help

ByKim Cranstoun

Needle Phobia: What it is, what it isn’t and how to help Research has shown that one of the biggest fears children have about visiting their pediatrician is a fear of needles (Kortesluoma & Nikkonen, 2004). For chronically ill children who undergo frequent procedures such as intravenous infusions (IVs), blood draws or steroid injections, repeated…

Advice on

The Importance of Prep: Preparing Children and Teens for Medical Procedures

ByKim Cranstoun

The Importance of Prep: Preparing Children and Teens for Medical Procedures There are few things more difficult for a parent or caregiver than watching a loved one in a heightened state of anxiety or worse, in pain. For many parents, this is a rare occurrence—perhaps a fall off a bike led to a broken arm…

Kim Cranstoun
Kim Cranstoun

Hi, I’m Kim Cranstoun, the Lead English-speaking Patient Navigator for ARENA2. Both my Bachelor’s in Psychology and my Master’s degree in Counselor Education helped influence the birth of the role of the Patient Navigation Team since our scope covers two areas I’m passionate about—educating and counseling. Although I’ve worked with many people as a counselor, it’s the work I did with families affected by rare pediatric cancers that opened my eyes to the often complex needs of families impacted by diseases, especially rare diseases. My curiosity as an educator led me to do research on current psycheducational support services in rare disease clinical trials. When my research came up empty, I decided to create this role to support individuals and families as they journey through clinical trials. A recently retired blackbelt in goju ryu karate (too many injuries to count!), I like to work out, garden and frequent thrift shops.

Arilix Correa Sánchez
Arilix Correa Sánchez

Hi, I’m Arilix Correa Sánchez. I’m the bilingual, Spanish-English, patient navigator for the Arena2sStudy. I obtained a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Puerto Rico in 2006 and three academic certificates in the Human Services field from Camden County College in New Jersey between the years 2019 and 2020. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work in New Jersey. I’m an avid reader who also loves watching Asian shows, gaming, and exploring new recipes in my spare time.

Danielle Caissie
Danielle Caissie

Hi, I’m Danielle Caissie. I’m the Canadian/French speaking Patient Navigator and I’m so excited to support you and your family throughout this journey! I graduated from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada in 2019 with a B.A. with Honours in Psychology. I’m currently finishing up the last term of my M.A. degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, where I’ll soon be starting my doctoral studies. My clinical experience is rooted in working with children, adolescents, and their families. In my free time you can find me on the water, spending time with my family and dog, or volunteering with various community organizations!

dRTA Communities and Resources

Since its founding in 2007, Advicenne has been dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs in the area of nephroloy. Our lead drug candidate, ADV7103, is in late-stage clinical trials for primary distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). Listed on both the Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels stock exchanges, the company is headquartered in Paris, France.

You are not alone. Connect with other members of the dRTA community on social media and with organizations providing education and support.

ADV7103 is an investigational product and has not been demonstrated to be safe and effective in the US population.