About SYT

Save Your Thyroid (SYT) is an unbiased community and aspiring non-profit organization for patients.

Our focus is exclusively nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid cysts, nodules and cancers.

Mission

Prevent unnecessary thyroid surgeries through education.

Preserve the quality of life for as many thyroid patients as possible.

Provide an unbiased community for patients to find and share resources and testimonials for FDA approved, nonsurgical/thermal ablation treatment options.

Who we are

An organization run entirely by patients, who generously volunteer their time to help their peers.

Laypeople who want to educate and advocate for ourselves.

Passionate about preserving the functioning thyroid gland, as it is vital to good health and well-being.

Our “why”

70% of adults will be diagnosed with thyroid nodules in their lifetime.

150,000 thyroidectomies are performed annually in the US; two-thirds of those are for benign disease.

Many small thyroid cancers (papillary) are indolent, and the risks of treatment can outweigh the benefits.

Many patients can save their thyroid and preserve their quality of life!

Our founder

Save Your Thyroid was founded as a Facebook community in 2019 by Jennifer Holkem, a patient suffering with a large, benign thyroid mass that visibly enlarged her neck and caused breathing and swallowing problems.

While she desperately needed relief from her condition, she was not a good candidate for surgical intervention. She also had normal thyroid function and did not want to take thyroid medication for the rest of her life, as is often the case among thyroidectomy patients.

After hours of research and many phone calls to various specialists, she finally found a physician who could treat her using Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA). The procedure was a success and tremendously changed her life for the better. She had saved her thyroid!

While finding and accessing the procedure were very difficult at the time, she felt that she could not keep this information to herself. She was sure that more patients would need to know how they, too, could save their thyroid. Because of this, she founded the Save Your Thyroid (SYT) community on Facebook and simultaneously created her YouTube/Spotify channel, where she shares educational content for fellow patients.

Click here to join the Save Your Thyroid Facebook community!

Impact of SYT

Known by physicians and patients across the globe as a trusted patient education resource on nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid nodules.
The most robust patient community in existence with an exclusive focus on nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid cysts, nodules, and cancers.
Fosters a collaborative spirit among patients, physicians, and industry to create greater awareness of nonsurgical/thermal ablation treatment options.

SYT's History

2019 – Established on Facebook as a private community for patients to ask questions, share testimonials, and receive emotional support during their thyroid nodule treatment journey.
Ongoing – Continuously sharing updates about new physicians/treatment centers, current events, and topics relevant to nonsurgical/thermal ablation treatment options.
2022 – Established a public website listing all known providers of FDA approved, nonsurgical/thermal ablation treatment options in the US and abroad.
2022 – Jennifer Holkem and SYT have ongoing collaboration with ThyCa in their annual international conference. Jennifer has coordinated and facilitated multiple conference sessions, along with many SYT members, on nonsurgical treatment options for thyroid cancer; various global experts in nonsurgical treatment options have graciously participated.
2024 – Developed a new and improved public website including patient education resources.

SYT's Goals

As a future nonprofit organization, Save Your Thyroid depends on the generous support of donors. Raising funds for SYT would enable us to achieve the following goals:

Cover the legal cost of incorporation as a 501c3 nonprofit organization
Have consistent SYT attendance at physician meetings, creating greater awareness and extending the impact of our educational resources and advocacy efforts.
Create and distribute free online/printed resources to educate:
- 1. Patients
  2. The local Primary Care/General Practitioner community
  3. Physicians who don’t currently offer nonsurgical/thermal ablation treatment options

Funding

Funding for this website comes from the generous donations of individuals and organizations. This funding does not influence the content of the web site.

We are an unbiased community, and we do not promote or endorse products, services, physicians, or medical institutions.

If you would like to donate to our efforts, please click here and designate your donation for SYT in the comment box.

Disclaimer: None of the statements made here should be considered medical advice. We are patients, not doctors. You must seek the guidance of a physician who has been specifically trained in these procedures. Additionally, it is beneficial to get the opinions of multiple doctors when making decisions that can impact the rest of your life. Educate yourself on the risks and benefits so you can make informed decisions about your healthcare.