Our Story and Mission
This foundation was created in honor of Isabel McKinney and Hannah Szakacsy who lost their lives to DRESS Syndrome at the young ages of 16 and 17 years old. Both girls were prescribed antibiotics for acne (Bactrim and Minocycline) from which they developed and eventually died from complications of DRESS. Had information like this been available, it might have saved their lives.
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Following the death of their daughters, four years apart, Izzy and Hannah’s mothers, Tasha Tolliver and Nancy Szakacsy met and bonded over their shared tragedies. Nancy had been a one-woman warrior in a fight to create awareness and support DRESS patients and Tasha had begun working with international experts on DRESS in an effort to improve diagnosis and survival in suspected DRESS cases. The two joined forces and eventually founded the DRESS Syndrome Foundation in 2019.
Today, the DRESS Syndrome Foundation is led by Executive Director Tasha Tolliver. We're dedicated to building awareness and understanding of DRESS (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) among the public and medical communities. We are here to support patients and loved ones and to collaborate with patients, physicians, researchers and experts in the field.
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Our ultimate goal is to help create a world where drug reactions are predictable, recognizable and treatable –– a world where Hannah and Izzy would have lived.
