Meet the 

founder

 Alice McDonnell

Autoimmune 411™ is the culmination of over two decades of patient advocacy. Long before founding Hashimoto’s 411®, I was working to spread a vital message: that 9 out of 10 cases of hypothyroidism are autoimmune in nature. That patient-first education and persistence eventually led me to create Hashimoto’s 411®, which has since grown into the world’s largest autoimmune thyroid community.

What began as a grassroots effort to give patients the answers they never received at diagnosis has evolved into a larger mission: supporting all autoimmune patients through education, strategic guidance, and real-world experience. 

This work is deeply personal. It’s shaped by my own healing journey, the countless patients I’ve supported, and those closest to me — family, friends, and especially my two daughters, who are genetically predisposed to autoimmune conditions. Their presence and behind the scenes contributions remind me daily what this is all about: family, legacy, and helping others heal.

To the Hashimoto’s 411 moderators who pushed me beyond the support group: thank you for sparking the fire that led me to create a far greater resource — for myself, my daughters, and countless patients who need more strategic guidance than social media posts and the limited scope of discussion within the group could provide.