Olivia Ginty is a medical student at Queens University and will soon begin her residency in Otolaryngology-Head&Neck Surgery (OHNS) at Western University. Her interest in advocating for Canadians with facial differences has been inspired by her personal experience of being born with an unusually large facial hemangioma and the subsequent bullying and stigma with this facial difference. She was inspired to specifically pursue OHNS as a career due to the highly impactful functional and social challenges which patients experience with head and neck pathologies. She affectionately refers to the remnants of her hemangioma as her “pizza bubble” and passionately represents the facial difference community in the medical field.
She has held numerous leadership positions centered on advocacy such as publishing non-profit children’s books about pediatric illnesses, teaching youth in STEM education opportunities, and leading fundraising events. In her spare time she loves any art activity she can get her hands on, and enjoys running and yoga. She is honoured to bring both her lived experiences and extensive professional skills to the AboutFace Advocacy Committee.