Deborah “Debbie” Armstrong was diagnosed with statin-induced immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy in 2024. By the time she was diagnosed and fought with her insurance to cover IVIG, she had become almost completely dependent on assistive devices and the help of family and friends. Now, adjusting to her new norm, she is independent and fully functional. In 2025, Debbie successfully introduced legislation in New Mexico requiring insurance companies to cover FDA approved drugs for rare diseases without FDA approval specific to the disease.
Debbie is retired with a long history in healthcare and public service. She is a former physical therapist, health care administrator, Cabinet Secretary for NM Department of Aging, director of a non-profit health insurance program for high-risk individuals, and a former New Mexico state legislator. She also owned a small business providing a myriad of management services to professional associations and non-profits. Debbie graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in physical therapy in 1975 and from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2001. Debbie is the mother of three adult children and has one granddaughter. Her oldest daughter was diagnosed with stage IV cancer as a teenager and has managed through that for 25 years and is currently on a clinical trial.