Global Heroes

2023 GlobalWA Global Hero

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez
Chief Executive Officer, The Max Foundation

Pat Garcia-Gonzalez Pat is the co-founder of The Max Foundation, established in 1997 in honor of her step-son, Max. Max was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at the age of 14. He survived until the age of 17, and his legacy lives on in the hearts of thousands of cancer survivors whose lives have been touched by the organization.

Under her leadership, The Max Foundation has provided life-extending medication, treatment, and care to more than 100,000 patients for more than 20 years. Pat is known for her passionate advocacy and dedication to providing access to treatment and diagnostics for people, especially the most vulnerable, living with cancer worldwide.

Since 1997, the foundation has grown from a website offering resources into a global model for providing access to diagnostics, treatment, medication, care, and social support. The Max Foundation today channels over 10 million doses of life-saving cancer treatment to patients each in 77 LMICs, partnering with a worldwide network of more than 500 physicians and 200 hospitals and medical institutions, as well as several local NGOs and patient associations.