Symptone was founded by Heritza, driven by a deeply personal journey. Heritza, who has a family affected by eczema, faced the challenges of obtaining the correct diagnosis and treatment firsthand. The experience became particularly poignant when she needed surgery and had to choose between two different procedures. In her search for post-operative images to understand what to expect, she found a troubling gap—there were no pictures of people who looked like her, a young Black woman.
This lack of representation led Heritza to question why such disparities existed. While racism and prejudice were evident factors, she was driven to explore deeper issues. Her research revealed that the absence of diverse skin tones in medical education and research contributed significantly to misdiagnosis and inadequate care.
Determined to address these critical issues, Heritza established Symptone. The organization is dedicated to advocating for greater representation in medical education, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, and ensuring that all individuals receive the care they deserve. Symptone’s mission is to transform the understanding and treatment of medical conditions in darker skin tones, making healthcare more inclusive and equitable for everyone
At Symptone, our mission is to revolutionize the understanding and diagnosis of medical conditions in darker skin tones. We are dedicated to ensuring that all individuals receive accurate, timely, and equitable medical care by promoting greater representation of diverse skin tones in medical education and research. Through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we aim to prevent misdiagnosis, normalize conditions that affect people of color, and enhance healthcare outcomes for everyone.