Cecilia McGough is a mental health activist, writer, media consultant, and radio astronomer. Cecilia also happens to have schizophrenia but does not let it define her. Cecilia is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Students With Schizophrenia and creator for the I Am Not A Monster: Schizophrenia project. As a TEDx speaker and Special Books By Special Kids interviewee, Cecilia’s videos have been viewed over 20 million times over multiple platforms across the globe. Cecilia is an UNLEASH talent who traveled to Denmark in August of 2017 to be an active voice towards attaining the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and making sure people with psychosis are represented. Cecilia has been selected as the keynote speaker for the Schizophrenia International Research Society 2020 Congress to take place in Florence, Italy. At the age of 17, Cecilia co-discovered PSR J1930-1852 leading to opportunities such as helping represent the United States in the International Space Olympics in Russia and also being a Virginia Aerospace Science And Technology Scholar through the NASA Langley Research Center. In addition, Cecilia has been protesting and giving a voice for the psychosis community in the gun violence debate since 2018 by marching alongside 200,000 people in Washington D.C. for the March For Our Lives movement.
Emily has lived with migraine since she was seven, but the attacks shifted from episodic to chronic after the birth of her first child in 2017. As a yoga teacher and Exercise Physiology student, she is interested in how physical activity can benefit those living with chronic illness and pain. Emily started sharing her journey on social media and through her blog Movement With Migraine in 2019, and is passionate about inspiring and encouraging others to move their body more. Every little bit counts! She hopes to shine a light on this debilitating but often misunderstood condition, which is so much more than just a headache. She also wants to share that it is possible to thrive despite the pain, and that staying positive and nurturing your body can improve your life with migraine.
Lauren Freedman is an entrepreneur, voice actor, writer and activist who lives in Los Angeles.
Originally from NYC, she’s seen her fair share of “Top Docs” and was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and sleep disorders in 2017. This sparked her interest in the invisible illness community and her fellow “Spoonies”, with whom she wishes to commune and share information, inspiration, and comfort while advocating for greater awareness among friends, family, coworkers, and society at large. Lauren graduated from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art with a BA (Hons) in Acting in 2008, and has worked extensively in fashion to pay the bills. She’s a longtime student of the School of Hard Knocks and What’s-A-Matta-U. Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
WHAT IS UNINVISIBLE?
An award-winning podcast about invisible conditions and chronic invisible illness, featuring interviews with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and experts in varied healing modalities, from medical to holistic. Hosted by Lauren Freedman, a voice actor, writer, and activist, who lives with Hashimoto’s disease and sleep disorders, Uninvisible uncovers real stories of survival and humanity – complete with laughter. In truth and with candor, we offer solutions – and challenge the world to change. Winner, Best in Show: Podcast – WEGO Health Awards 2019.
Lauren is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDE), public speaker, fitness instructor, owner of LP Nutrition Consulting, and has lived with T1D for more than two decades. Her specialties are coaching and educating on healthy lifestyle for chronic disease support, sports performance, plant-based nutrition, weight management, and prevention with age. Read more of her story at www.lpnutritionconsulting.com
Cody Maher is a NYC born and raised actor, writer and patient advocate for IBD. For years she hid her disease and the struggles she faced out of shame and embarrassment. Now, she openly shares all aspects of herself in hopes of raising awareness, helping to destigmatize Inflammatory Bowel Disease and, most importantly, to help others struggling with chronic illness to feel less alone.
Growing up in Atlanta, I spent most of my early twenties bouncing between Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. I was diagnosed with migraine at 18 years old, but they did not become chronic until 2012. I have been a migraine sufferer for over 30 years, and chronic for the past 6 years.
Before coming “chronic” I enjoyed all sorts of adventures including hiking, kayaking and camping. Since being diagnosed, I have had to greatly alter my life to manage the over 15 migraine attacks that I have a month. On top of being a full time mom, I manage my migraine pain on a daily basis. I am lucky to be married to a wonderful husband for almost 15 years, who is willing to step in and help out when my attacks become completely debilitating.
Last year, after a 10 day stay in an inpatient migraine program, I decided to open up my life and heart to helping others in my situation. I started my Instagram account in January 2019. After years of doctors, tests, alternative treatments and physical therapy, I felt pulled to open my heart and soul to create and share my REAL life experiences in an effort to reach others within the chronic pain community. My hope is through my experiences I am able to create community and serve as an advocate, friend, and supporter for those suffering with migraine and other chronic conditions.
Sarah has lived with migraine her entire life. After watching her mom and grandmother fight migraine, she had her first attack at age 5. Her journey has continued the rest of her life turning from episodic to chronic as an adult. After staying at home with her 2 small children, she found her voice through My Migraine Life several years ago. It has grown into a powerful advocacy blog.
My Migraine Life documents how migraine affects everyday life. Her stories and information shed light on how migraine is more than a headache and all that is involved with living with it. Sarah shares her life as a mom, teacher, and dog, food and travel lover. Her quest for health is seen everywhere from products, therapies, self-care, to ways to advocate and how to help yourself and others. Sarah’s positivity offers hope while her honesty is felt. Her advocacy can be seen at Miles for Migraine events throughout the county. She also partners with American Migraine Foundation, Shades for Migraine and Healthline. Her mission is to lessen stigma, build community and raise funds to change the lives of migraine sufferers and families around the world. She can be reached through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Sneha founded the Health Advocacy Summit and Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network, with major funding from the Helmsley Charitable Trust and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to create more support systems for young adults and adolescents with chronic and rare illnesses across the U.S. and internationally. She is proud of the organizations’ funding source transparency and independence from receiving money from the pharmaceutical industry. She was chosen as one of the most influential teens globally in 2018 by the We Are Family Foundation.
Sneha completed a research fellowship in health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she is continuing research as an undergraduate in health care related to young adults. She also interned at the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Headquarters and Pfizer Global Headquarters in health economics and outcomes research for Inflammation and Immunology. Sneha spoke on Capitol Hill, featured nationally on C-SPAN, is a past contributor for U.S. News and World Report, and has put in considerable time and effort in D.C. advocating for better access to health care for people with chronic illnesses. She also created and chairs the first disability caucus in Indiana, and has served on the Democratic National Committee Disability Policy Subcommittee and Women’s March Disability Caucus. Sneha was awarded two academic fellowships with the Association of Health Care Journalists. She was previously a national policy fellow and now serves as the youngest director on the board for RespectAbility, a nonprofit fighting stigma and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities. Sneha has spoken at Stanford Medicine X, the Harvard Youth and Public Health Summit, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and other major avenues.
In her free time, she enjoys climbing, hiking, and reading all things related to health economics. Most of all, she is incredibly grateful for all the people she gets to work with and those that have overcome barriers in their lives to continue thriving with a chronic illness. She has proudly lived in Indiana most of her life, is an advocate for women supporting women, is passionate about advancing health care in rural communities, and is an ardent supporter of more transparency in the patient advocacy space.
Hi, we’re Em and Kate, sisters behind the wellness blog Two Being Healthy. While to the outside world we appear as healthy, active young adults, in reality we both suffer from invisible and chronic illnesses. Our health complications really began when we were each diagnosed with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) at age 17. We have since been diagnosed with multiple other chronic illnesses, including, but not limited to, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), MCAD (Mast Cell Activation Disorder) and Chronic Migraines.
Over the past 10+ years, we have discovered all the ups and downs of living with a variety of autoimmune and autonomic issues. At first, it was very difficult to cope, but we have now adapted to our realities and are able to live our lives fully. Throughout our journey we have learned that if something is inhibiting our health, all avenues towards improvement should be explored and, in doing so, we have gained a passion for wellness and nutrition.
Our blog, Two Being Healthy, deals with managing invisible and chronic illness in a positive manner. It was created with the intention of sharing our health journey, including products we have found beneficial, tips we have gained along the way, documenting of new discoveries, and interviews with professionals in related fields. It’s inspired by our own experiences and is a true passion project for us. Two Being Healthy focuses on a proactive approach aimed towards healing and helping the body. We strive to be advocates of invisible illness and to change the perception of what “sick” looks like!
Ellie has been living with chronic migraine for the last 8 years. She began writing about her life as a student and young adult living with migraine on her blog, Chronic Migraine Ellie, over 4 years ago. She writes about topics like understanding migraine and learning how to be a patient advocate, reducing stigma around migraine, mental health and invisible disabilities, and navigating personal and professional relationships while living with chronic illness. In addition to her blog, she is also a patient advocate for migraine and has attended Headache on the Hill for the past 3 years.
Ellie graduated from Wesleyan University in May 2019 with a B.A. in History and the Science and Society Program. She wrote her senior thesis on the development of pain management as a medical specialty and the relationship between physician pain management advocacy and public policy. Ellie currently works in health policy in Washington D.C.