The Vigilant Advocate was founded to address a critical gap in healthcare: navigation support for caregivers.

Navigating Care without a Diagnosis

In 2017, our founder's son, then 11 years old, got sick and ended up missing an entire year of school. AJ had a variety of symptoms but no one could identify what was wrong. Without a diagnosis, he was trapped in a cycle of countless tests, specialists, medications, and hospitalizations that led nowhere. His family was consumed by fear, exhaustion, and an unrelenting search for answers. Nine months into AJ’s debilitating sickness, a surprising and simple issue was found: AJ had an allergy to indoor mold. The family remediated the mold and AJ’s health immediately improved. AJ, now 20, is healthy and happy, enjoying life as a college freshman.

Navigating Care with a Diagnosis

The same year that AJ got sick, his 10 year old sister, Caroline, was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. This was a different situation: with a clear diagnosis, there was, at least, more of a path to follow. The complexity, and confusion, however, of navigating life with an autoimmune disorder quickly became evident. In Caroline’s case, there was no lucky answer; no ‘quick’ fix and Caroline and her family have had to learn to navigate life with a chronic illness.

The Vigilant Advocate

After experiencing firsthand the isolation, confusion, and emotional toll of advocating for children with complex conditions, Kristen Best was determined to create a platform to provide better support to caregivers. Kristen was a lawyer with skills in advocacy; to better understand how healthcare, and how to meet the needs of caregivers in that system, she pursued a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, graduating in 2024. With this background in law and social work, Kristen founded The Vigilant Advocate with one clear vision: to ensure no caregiver feels alone.