Amanda Kalinsky, RN School Nurse & Advocate Amanda Kalinsky is an elementary school nurse in Mount Pleasant and the first woman in history to undergo in vitro fertilization with Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for genetic prion disease. At the age of 25, Amanda underwent genetic testing for the rare Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, a condition that is 100% fatal within 2 to 8 years of diagnosis. She tested positive for the mutation. After her father was diagnosed with the disease and passed away at 59, Amanda wanted to find a way to have children without passing on the mutation. Since then, she’s had three healthy children and has become an advocate for others with or at risk of inheritable prion disease. Amanda allowed her story to be written in the book Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family’s Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them. By telling her story, Amanda aims to raise awareness and inspire hope for those in similar situations.