Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 42; Democratic Party

Cynthia Toussaint has had the chronic pain disease, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, for 23 years and in 2002 from her wheelchair founded the nonprofit organization For Grace that raises awareness of RSD and the plight of women in pain.

Before becoming ill, she was an accomplished ballerina and worked professionally as a dancer, actor and singer. Since 1997, she has been a leading RSD advocate who raises awareness of the disease through local and national media as well as public speaking.

Toussaint championed and gave key testimony at two California Senate hearings. The first in May 2001 was dedicated to RSD awareness. The second in February 2004 explored the chronic under treatment of and gender bias toward women in pain. Both of these efforts were the first of their kind in the nation. Her media appearances include features in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Newsweek, the Orange County Register, Consumer's Digest, the Los Angeles Daily News, La Opinion, PBS, NPR and the Discovery Health channel.

In 2005, Toussaint worked with Assembly Member Fran Pavley to introduce a California RSD Education bill. The bill got to the Governor's desk year one largely due to Toussaint's persuasive testimony before the Assembly and Senate Health committees. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill--and Toussaint plans to champion this important effort again.

Toussaint has spearheaded numerous pain-related awareness months in California and Los Angeles (city and county), working with California Senator Liz Figueroa, Los Angeles City Councilperson Wendy Greuel and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to help bring attention to the issue of chronic pain.

In 2004, Toussaint received the Award of Excellence from the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative in recognition of her extensive media and legislative outreach. She was the first person to receive this prestigious award for raising non-malignant pain awareness.

Also, Toussaint continues to be a leading advocate for HMO reform in California. She was instrumental through media, protests and press conferences in changing public opinion which led to sweeping HMO reform legislation that was signed by Governor Gray Davis in 1999.