In memoriam, DeAnn Runge: Sept. 4, 1979-Jan. 21, 2025
With deep sadness, we announce the passing of our dear friend and longtime contributor, DeAnn Runge. DeAnn had many roles at Bionews, the parent company of SMA News Today. She was a forum moderator, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) community advocate, and member of our recently established Patient Advisory Board. She hosted her beloved YouTube series, “Dose of DeAnn,” for seven years and created more than 170 videos.
DeAnn passed away Jan. 21, 2025, at the age of 45 after a sudden illness. Her impact on our community is too vast to summarize, and her legacy will continue with the lives she touched. She lived a remarkable, independent, and purpose-filled life. DeAnn met every challenge head-on with grit, grace, and determination. She was dearly loved and is greatly missed. Following are tributes from a couple of her colleagues.
From Kevin Schaefer: I first encountered DeAnn in 2018 through the forums and her personal YouTube channel. We were in the early days of Bionews and were looking for new voices to help grow our organization and reach our communities. Immediately, DeAnn captured our attention with her wit and dynamic storytelling capabilities. She became one of our first multimedia creators and played a vital role in making the forum community what it is today. Recently, she became a member of our company’s newly established Patient Advisory Board.
Yet, DeAnn was so much more than just her accomplishments. Her relentless compassion and humor came across in every video call and Slack message. She was always there to brighten someone’s day and provide a listening ear. DeAnn, Alyssa Silva, and I particularly enjoyed sharing stories of caregivers and insurance hassles.
This community won’t be the same without her, but her impact will last forever. Rest easy, friend.
From Alyssa Silva: I had the pleasure of meeting DeAnn when I became a forum moderator in 2019. Though I had seen her videos on YouTube, I didn’t know much about the person behind the screen. I can honestly tell you she was just as delightful as she was in her videos.
DeAnn was such a force in our community. She was a great advocate, a friend to many, and an asset here at Bionews. I have always admired her work greatly. And, as I’m sure everyone here will attest to, she was beloved by many for her kindness, compassion, and insight. Our community won’t be the same without her.
See the full archive of DeAnn’s videos on YouTube.
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