Meet The People Behind AnCan

I’m a Ramsay Hunt Syndrome survivor. That experience became one of those moments that divides life into a before and an after. It tested me, changed my perspective, and showed me what real persistence looks like.

In 2013 I dealt with a prolonged attempt to diagnose my Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. I ended up with complete left vestibular damage and vertigo, and after 18 months my facial paralysis only improved from 84% to 64% and I've dealt with other episodes since then. I find I can draw on my skills as a marriage and family therapist to cope with the lifestyle and physical changes that come as a result of RHS.

What started as an earache led to a Ramsey Hunt syndrome diagnosis and a year spent chasing every treatment and specialist I could find. As an LCSW and mom of three, I threw everything I had into fixing my face — and eventually into learning how to live fully with it instead.

After experiencing facial paralysis in 2018 and navigating years of treatment, synkinesis, and recovery, she turned her journey into a mission to encourage others affected by facial paralysis, including Bell’s palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. "My smile is in construction."

Diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in November 2019, Amy has works with the Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Foundation, supporting and navigating others with facial paralysis. She ran the collaborative book project "The Hunt for My Smile", bringing together 24 authors from seven countries to share their experiences with facial paralysis

Elaine Ben-Yaacov is a clinical social worker with experience in the fields of dementia care and the autism spectrum.  She contracted RHS in 2024, an experience that impacted her to write a medical memoir, available on Amazon.  She is a proud mom of five and grandmother of nine.