I’m currently in a part of the cancer journey, that I never knew existed. I believed that, it would be all over once the cancer went into Remission. I was sadly mistaken, & found out that I would have to continue chemo treatments. I actually hate chemo more than anything in the world. Thank God for family, friends, & THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS that constantly surround me with good energy, and keep me encouraged. Chances are that I may have to take chemo treatments for the rest of my life. This chapter is almost like, a bonus chapter of a terrible book. Regardless of how I feel about this journey, I’m grateful to God for where I am. There’s always SOMETHING to be grateful for!

After back-to-back chronic illness diagnoses of Multiple Sclerosis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in her 20s, Jackie Zimmerman turned to the internet to find a way to cope and build a support system. Blogging became the outlet she found and she quickly realized that she wasn’t the only one benefiting from her stories. Jackie became a professional blogger and public speaker and in 2012 formed a nonprofit called Girls With Guts to uplift women living with Inflammatory Bowel disease. 

Through the process of blogging and developing communities, Jackie honed her skills in digital communications by learning to design websites, create brand recognition and build online courses. She has now turned those into a full time career in her company Queen of GSD. Though she holds degrees in graphic design and information science, Jackie really built her digital marketing skills through the desire to tell her story and she is most passionate about helping others in the chronic illness community learn to share their own stories.

Leanna Lee is a content writer and journalist focused on the future of work and wellbeing. She works with tech and software companies to drive thoughtful conversations about remote work, business development, workplace wellness, and DEI. She also writes and speaks about her personal experiences as a disabled entrepreneur living with PTSD, situational depression, and generalized anxiety for 10+ years. Her podcast Bettermental, which she co-hosts and produces with Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®Mike Veny, explores chronic mental health conditions and management for small business owners. Leanna is a professional member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and a founding member of Plumia, a digital nation for digital nomads.

Ms. Rae-Garwood’s writing started out as a means to an end for a single parent with two children and a need for more income than her career as a NYC teacher afforded. Gail retired from both college teaching and acting – after a bit of soul searching about where her CKD limited energy would be best spent – early in 2013. Since her diagnose, Ms. Rae-Garwood writes most often about Chronic Kidney Disease, although she does write fiction and non-fiction. She has a three time award winning weekly blog about this topic at http://gailraegarwood.wordpress.com and social media accounts as @SlowItDownCKD.

My name is Mercy, I have had Mycosis Fungoides for over 10 years. After living with my condition for so long I decided to truly celebrate myself. My teenage years were difficult, I spent years hiding my skin and trying to run away from myself. After going through treatments, I began to accept that there was no cure. This acceptance was the first step to my confidence journey. My journey evolved and I began to truly love and appreciate my differences. Growing up, I hadn’t seen myself represented anywhere, never on the front page of a magazine or in my day-to-day life. So decided I was going to work towards changing that. Not only for myself but others living with a chronic illness or visible difference, so that others experiencing the same insecurities may instead see the beauty in their skin. Why blend in when you were born to stand out?

I began blogging in 2011 after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. My diagnosis was shocking because I found out after passing out in my tub for hours and slipping into a diabetic coma. Blogging was the easiest way to let my friends and family know what I was going through because I didn’t have the emotional energy to tell it over and over again. I was scared, confused, and clueless. I didn’t know that soon I would be one of the most prominent African American Type 2 bloggers in the world. What an outstanding honor and achievement.

The following year, I created this website, Black Diabetic Info, to help provide culturally competent information to black people after having more than enough run-ins with medical personnel who were not culturally sensitive to my needs.

Over the years, my joy of telling all people about my life living with Type 2 diabetes has resulted in me being featured on “DSMA Live” (a weekly diabetes online radio show), Health Monitor Diabetes Magazine, Huffington Post Live, and Diabetes Focus magazine.

I am a proud vessel to be used to help inspire others who may be living with diabetes.

Psychotherapist Extraordinaire and award winning mental health clinician Lola Clay, A.B.D., Ph. D, LPC-S, CART, BCPC is a native Texan. Lola’s expertise exceeds general psychotherapy as she is also a relationship expert and life coach. She works with businesses as an organizational consultant and has worked in many renowned mental healthcare facilities. She is a certified Jungian therapist and trauma specialist. Her knowledge extends to sexual health and behaviors, transcendental meditation, domestic violence, and anger resolution. Lola is world renowned for her groundbreaking work as a television personality and expert in weight management as it relates to cognitive processes. Following her mother’s 2019 transition due to pancreatic cancer, Lola became an advocate for raising awareness regarding pancreatic cancer and has helped raise over $250,000 for research. Lola’s motto, “I am passionate about helping patients and caregivers navigate their journeys with dignity and joy.” 

Auna is an academic advisor in Houston, Texas. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Auna was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes at the age of 18. Auna holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Art History from the University of Memphis and the University of Cincinnati. In her spare time, Auna likes to read, cycle, and secret shop.

I was diagnosed as a T2D in June 2020. I am a single mother full time and learning to juggle my diabetes with my life has not been so easy.

I am a passionate creative type living with multiple physical chronic illnesses, including Type 1 Diabetes, as well as multiple mental illnesses. My desire is to raise awareness and end stigma, advocating on a global scale for those living with mental illness; I strive to change society’s perceptions of what is “normal” in both mind and body. It is my familial connection to Sir Frederick Banting, as well as my own journey with Type 1 Diabetes, that drives my advocacy within the diabetes community and beyond. Most times my nose is in a book – sometimes it is one I am reading, sometimes it is one in which I am writing, and sometimes it is my sketchbook.