Madison Shaw of Southbury Receives Prestigious Medical Award

Southbury Resident Receives Prestigious International Medical Award

BOSTON, MA -- Emerson College student, Madison Shaw of Southbury, Connecticut recently received The Luciano Vassalli Award for her work in promoting awareness of Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) Disease.

Currently a sophomore, majoring in Political Communication, Shaw has worked to increase awareness of the disease since eighth grade, when she organised a 5K walk that raised over $10,000. She was also born with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease.

Since then, she has continued to both raise money and awareness for patients with PI and for organizations like Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF), Make-A-Wish Foundation, and The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp.

Shaw was previously nominated three times for the award, before receiving it at the Patient Organization For Primary Immunodeficiencies Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The Vassalli award is named in honor of Luciano Vassalli, a young adult with PI who in his short life created great awareness for the disease. Shaw is the first American to receive this award.

Shaw Is currently an official IDF Teen Council Member, which has allowed her to travel around the world to increase awareness of the disease.