Community

“When people search about rheumatic heart disease on the internet, they often get the impression that it was virtually eradicated from the United States. However, I am an American who was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease in March of 2021. Over time, I have grown to understand how this condition has affected my perspective on…

“Living with Epilepsy for the past 36 years hasn’t been easy. The hardest part of my journey has been accepting and living my truth. As a child living in Washington D.C. I was attending school and one day a classmate stabbed me in the eye with a pencil. The pencil lead was lodged in my…

“When people hear the word ‘epilepsy,’ they often think of dramatic convulsions or flashing lights. But what they don’t see—the part that lives in silence and shadow—is the reality of living with an invisible illness. For the last 15 years, I’ve lived with epilepsy. On the outside, I may look like I’m doing just fine….

“My name is Heather Bickel Stevenson and I am an RN/counselor/coach and Spiritual director. I wanted to share my story with chronic illness in a nutshell, if that is possible.  I had a TBI when I was a freshman in college and that damaged my ability to sleep at all. That severely compromised my immune…

“I didn’t think it would be so difficult to write this, but as the words come out it almost feels like I am writing about someone else. Do you ever ask yourself, ‘How did I end up here?‘ In the good and the bad moments, I now ask myself this question almost every day.  I…

“I have the urge to share my journey with as many people as possible. To raise awareness, to educate, and to help others so they don’t ever feel alone like I did in the beginning of my journey. My story has been long, like many others, but it’s also full of hope and gratitude. My husband and…