Author · Advocate · Speaker
Access Is Personal. Advocacy Is Leadership.
I help families and organizations navigate the gap between healthcare systems and lived reality.
I’ve built the systems. I’ve lived inside them.
For more than twenty years, I have led healthcare access strategy, designing frameworks meant to serve patients and families.
At home, I navigated those same systems while fighting for my son’s mental health. Years later, I advocated for him as he emerged as a transgender young man.
My work bridges policy and lived experience, strategy and humanity.
Now Available!
Fighting for Their Lives
Fighting for Their Lives spans two journeys that no parent expects to take.
My child’s mental health battles began when he was very young. His identity as a transgender young man emerged years later. They are separate. They intersect. Neither one explains the other. And loving him through both meant fighting systems that were never built to hold the full truth of who he is.
What Readers Are Saying
Real reviews from Amazon readers.
“Jenn Garofolo writes with such authenticity, sharing with the world many deeply personal experiences of her son and her family.”
“An unforgettable read that will leave its mark on your heart.”
“This mother tells a story of saving her child.”
“This book is a must read for anyone with compassion and love for your children in their time of crisis.”
“One of the most impactful and compelling books I have ever read.”
“A powerful, emotional memoir that left a lasting impression.”
“A strong plea for the right to be seen and protected.”
“That nuance really increases the credibility of this book.”
“Some books teach you something new. Others help you understand yourself. Fighting for Their Lives does both.”
“I have worked in mental health for 12 years and have seen many students like Daniel growing up in this world.”
“This book gave me insight of how to support any person or family dealing with a mental health issue or crisis.”
“Parents need to be advocates, and children need to be listened to.”
Who I Work With
Parents
- Guidance when you feel lost navigating broken mental health systems.
- Support grounded in lived experience, not theory.
Looking for something more direct? Get in touch.
Organizations
- Healthcare organizations, employers, clinicians and care teams, and schools and educators working to close the gap between policy and reality.
- Speaking and consulting on system design, LGBTQIA+ healthcare, caregiver support, and workforce wellbeing.