In a poignant narrative, Averianna Altieri’s battle with a series of misdiagnosed medical conditions underscores the hurdles faced by patients and families navigating the U.S. health care system.

She recently shared her journey, which took her through a labyrinth of diagnoses and treatments.

Altieri, a talented multisport athlete, found herself grappling with a spectrum of illnesses, including the rare Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), her mother, Jana Altieri, a health care professional, revealed. 

“We’re not sure if it’s from the EDS, or the juvenile arthritis,” she added, reflecting on the complexity of her daughter's conditions.

Amidst the backdrop of alarming statistics — an estimated 371,000 annual deaths and 424,000 permanent disabilities attributed to misdiagnosis — Averianna Altieri’s story serves as a clarion call for improved medical practices. 

“Doctors and all health care professionals really need to be able to speak up when they don’t know something,” Jana Altieri emphasized.

Now under the care of a dedicated team at the University of Maryland Hospital, Averianna Altieri prepares for University at Buffalo, driven by her resolve to advocate for patients and improve health care practices. 

“The misdiagnosis has kind of inspired me to go out there and advocate,” Averianna Altieri said. “I want to become a nurse…and I want to be able to teach people and actually hear patients with what their concern is.”