Around the world and across the internet, people are taking ownership of their chronic illness and disability identities. Movements like #CriptheVote and theories like the Spoon Theory (shout out to all of our Spoonie Friends in the Fight!) have helped folks to find positivity and community through their experience of illness and disability. At Mighty Well, we see this as a beautiful example of the way we, as community members, have collectively worked to turn our Sickness into Strength. Today, we want to celebrate that. Specifically, we want to celebrate some of the people who speak and write about the complexity of identity online. Here are five influencers you should follow who celebrate and embrace intersectionality in chronic illness every day.
Julian and Ariel
You may have read Julian and Ariel’s recent blog post, “Proud to be Trans, Proud to be Chronically Ill.” Both Julian and Ariel are transgender and living with chronic illness. They are both working as advocates to bring awareness to the intersections of transition-related healthcare and long-term chronic illness-related healthcare through their work online and across social media. Follow Julian and Ariel and make sure to check out their article at the link above!
Tamara Mena
Tamara was born and raised in Leon, Mexico, and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 13. At the age of 19, she suffered a horrific car accident that left her paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Despite the great tragedy she endured, she never lost sight of her dreams and goals! She’s now a motivational speaker and model and featured in different magazines and publications. The world-famous magazine LATINA has even written a few articles about her and recognized her as one of the “most inspiring Latinas”!
Travis Flores
Travis Flores lives with Cystic Fibrosis and is an actor, inspirational speaker, storyteller, and writer. In all of his work and writing, he lifts others up – regardless of their identity or background. Travis’ beautiful piece about his relationship and love for his husband for Out Magazine brought tears to our eyes. Check it out here, and watch our interview with Travis here.
April Christina
April is a wellness and beauty blogger and endometriosis advocate. April is a young black woman advocating for a women’s disease and does a beautiful job across all of her work celebrating her many identities and lifting others up along the way. Follow her on Instagram for a closer look into her illness and advocacy journey!
Emily Levy
Let’s not forget our amazing co-founder, Emily Levy! Emily recently celebrated her interfaith marriage with her husband and co-founder Yousef, bringing the Jewish and Muslim faiths together. She is a vocal advocate for young female entrepreneurs and is a fierce supporter of all of our Friends in the Fight. Follow her on Instagram for updates on her journey.
No matter where you come from or what communities you are a part of, we hope you’ll take some time today to celebrate all of your identities. Through a practice of self-love and acceptance, we can all find a little bit of extra strength as we continue to celebrate intersectionality in chronic illness!