Dr. Iraklis Kourtis is an innovation-driven biomedical engineer (Swiss Institute of Technology, ETH) with over 15 years of experience in human-factors design, pharma industry, healthtech startups, and entrepreneurship. Iraklis has founded and co-founded numerous companies, including Hyalex Orthopaedics, which secured a total of $33M in series A funding. More recently, inspired by his own experience living with Crohn’s disease, he co-founded Chronicles, a digital health startup, to empower patients living with inflammatory bowel disease and revolutionize management and treatment of the condition. He is constantly assessing gaps and unmet needs to improve the quality of life of patients. He is an expert in digital health, bioengineering, drug delivery and physiology, and medical device development. He is a proud dad of two, a marathoner, and a tech gear junkie, and is happiest when outdoors.
I’m Tina B and I was born with heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and other problems. The outlook for my future wasn’t a positive one. My parents were told that if I managed to live to be a teenager it would be a miracle. I am now well passed my teens and living an incredible life! As the longest living survivor in Africa to have had a heart and bilateral lung transplant, I have looked death in the eye and defeated it! With my proven strategies we can get you to your most incredible life too!
Who am I?
My name is Daniel or Dan and I have type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed at the age of 10 on 17 August 1996. I live just outside London.
Where am I from?
My family are from the Caribbean however I was born in London and have lived in the UK all of my life.
What do I know about type 1 diabetes?
I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes for over twenty years and have first hand experience of the highs, lows and very lows the condition brings to a persons life.
What’s my diagnosis story?
Everyone who experiences a type 1 diabetes diagnosis has their own story. You could be the person with type 1, their parent, sibling or grandparent. You have your own individual story. Here’s mine.
It was the summer of 96 (enter a poor Summer of 69 joke here) and 10 year old me was enjoying the summer holidays. It was a ‘hot’ British Summer and the Ribena was flowing so I kept drinking and drinking and drinking. It was hot so nothing was thought of it by those around me. This all changed on 16 August. I was on a family trip to the cinema and we had to leave early due to me being unwell. I continued to be unwell for the rest of the day.
Fast forward to 1am on 17 August 1996 and I was still unwell. The emergency doctor was called. After he arrived, tested my blood sugar levels he said, you need to take him to Accident and Emergency. Now!
I didn’t know what was happening but when we reached the hospital, I soon realised. I remember needles and lots of poking, prodding and waiting around. It was early morning now and a doctor sat me down and said, ‘You have Diabetes’.
I don’t remember what was said after that but those words and the image of the doctor still stays with me until this day.
I stayed in hospital for a few days, the highlight being interviewed by a news channel about my diagnosis. Then I was off continuing my journey of living with type 1 diabetes and navigating this thing called life.
I’ve come a long way since then and overcome many challenges. I’m still on my journey and if I can get through it then I know you can.
Finally, as you have read I’ve had type 1 diabetes for a number of years but I am not the following:
– a ‘perfect’ type 1 diabetic (This does not exist!)
– an expert in managing the condition
– a healthcare professional.
Elizabeth was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 4 months old. The youngest of three, and the only child with CF, Elizabeth’s health began to decline during her sophomore year of college, causing her to withdraw from school and move home. Three years ago, Elizabeth moved to the Bay Area to focus on her health. Despite the progression of her disease, Elizabeth enjoys traveling, photography, reading, and buying too many sweaters for her little dog, Tucker. Double-lung transplant survivor with cystic fibrosis. Public speaker and advocate. Keeping it salty 24/7 while showing the good, the bad, and the ugly with sarcasm and humor.
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia fourteen years ago. I remember not knowing how to spell or even pronounce it, let alone knowing what it meant to have to live with it! Tears rolled down my face for two reasons – the relief that I finally discovered the cause of my excruciating pain and the realization that I was going to be in the same pain for the rest of my life.
Fast forward fourteen years, I’ve had my share of struggles, disappointments, and frustrations. It’s difficult having an invisible illness – being in a place where nobody can ever tell how it impacts you on a daily basis, yet it affects every single decision you make in your life. I’ve come to realize that I consider it to be a blessing, and a curse at the same time.
Matt is a 33 year old Navy Vet. In the Navy, he was part of a team of first responders to the Fukushima-Daichi Power plant melt down after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan 2011. After this exposure due to the nuclear melt down, he began to experience a myriad of health problems that have largely been a mystery until the past few years when he was diagnosed with lyme disease, mold toxicity, and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
Before he was diagnosed, Matt always said that he would be the loudest person on the internet, so that if anyone else was in his shoes, they would be able to find the answers that he spent years and countless doctors visits trying to find.
Matt started his Instagram account @chronicallymindfulmatt to educate others about chronic illness, and to help foster a community with others who share his struggles. He also talks about mental health issues and sobriety, as he has been sober for 4 years now. Before and during his worst pain symptoms, Matt started leaning heavily on mindfulness, breath work, and meditation, which he credits heavily with helping him get through some of the darkest days. Along with other topics, he talks about mindfulness and the power of taking care of your mental health.
Matt and his partner Emily moved to Colorado from Washington state in 2019 when they found out he had mold toxicity. They live with their dog Polar, and two cats, Sammie and Salem, along with a few rogue plant babies that they try really hard to keep alive.
Heather Von St James is a long-term survivor of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Upon her diagnosis over 15 years ago, Heather vowed to make people aware of this rare but deadly cancer and provide hope to new patients who found themselves in the same or similar situation. Becoming an advocate and anti-asbestos activist has been the driving force in her life since her diagnosis in 2005. Heather lives in the suburbs of Minneapolis/St Paul, MN with her husband, 15-year-old child, and numerous pets. A self-described iced tea addict, her days are spent working with new patients and volunteering with The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation where she is co-chair of The Community Advisory Board.
Jasmin Pierre is a mental health advocate, and the creator of “The Safe Place” a culturally competent mental health app for the black community on Android and ios. This app was created because of racial biases regarding societal issues, a lack of understanding about mental health in the black community, and in the healthcare field when it comes to understanding what racial trauma is, and how it can seriously impact mental health.
Jasmin is also the author of A Fight Worth Finishing, which details her experiences with depression and suicide, and “Generational awakening: The Strange Anxiety In Dauphine Royal” a culturally competent comic book, that focuses on the impacts racial trauma can have on the black community, after a racially traumatic situation takes place in the media. ( The comic is presented by the Safe Place App)
I am a two time Heart Transplant recipient, two time synovial sarcoma cancer survivor and stroke survivor.
I developed dilated cardiomyopathy at the age of 9, was on the transplant list for only 9 hours and received my first heart transplant in 1990. I suffered severe rejection in 1995, my transplant team preformed plasmapheresis and that was able to reverse my rejection. I soon after developed gastroparesis from that rejection episode, which I continue to deal with on a daily basis.
In 2011, I received my second heart transplant 20+ years after my first. I had some complications coming out of surgery, aspirated, suffered a stroke and was put on ECMO. I spent 6 weeks in the hospital, along with some outpatient PT/OT but was able to make a full recovery and was back at work 4 months later.
In 2020, I developed synovial sarcoma lung cancer and underwent a lobectomy to remove the tumor & cancer. In May 2021 I had a reoccurrence of synovial sarcoma, this time on the scalp, and had the tumor remove and again am cancer free.
Professionally, I am a supply chain executive Fortune 500 company and I volunteer with various organizations dealing with chronic illness. Personally, I’m married to my beautiful wife and we have two sons. In my spare time I enjoy anything sports related, especially playing golf, and spending time with my family.
My name is Renée, I’m 32 and I’m from the Netherlands.
On the 12’th of March 2015 I got hit by a car as a pedestrian. The car was driving 60, launched me in the air and my body dropped back on the road at least 20 meters further. My entire life changed within just a fraction of seconds and it’s not what I imagined for my partner and myself. It’ll never be the same anymore. It’s not only my trauma but also my partner his trauma, whom is now my care giver. I had a near death experience that day and am very lucky to be able to tell my story.
In hospital they diagnosed me with a large horizontal skull fracture on the back of my head, which basically split my skull in half. Next to this I had several smaller skull fractures, right eye socket, rockbone, ankle, 4 pelvic, pubic and lower back fractures. A dislocated jaw, two types of cerebral hemorrhages. The entire right side of my face had gotten 100% paralyzed and more.
This trauma left me to learn how to live an “unfixed life” with a long list of chronic and mental illnesses. I’ll name a few; Traumatic Brain Injury, Seizures, Facial Paralysis & Synkinesis, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Chronic Migraines, Cluster Headaches, Fibromyalgia, Nerve Damage of multiple Nervous Systems, Tinnitus, lost ability to taste and smell, (C)PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Psychodermatology, Body Dysmorphia and more (if interested you can read about a my illnesses on my Instagram)
Even though this is a life changing event which affects literally every aspect of my life, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve always been a highly sensitive person and an empath but this experience showed me how strong I really am. It changed me for the better and enhanced all my good qualities even though this is an ongoing grieving process for the person I could’ve been and how the life of my partner and myself could’ve been.
I’m now very passionate advocating, raising awareness and educating about chronic and mental illnesses. I feel it’s my duty to do so and it gives me the feeling of having purpose in life. I love to connect with likeminded people and support each other in any way I can in hopes to make others feel less alone, heard and seen. I have lots of personal contact with people within the chronic ill community and made friends with people all over the world, which I’m very grateful for!
It’s such an honor that I may call myself a Lyfebulb Ambassador and be a part of the Lyfebulb family! Lyfebulb does an amazing job connecting patients, care givers, charities, innovators, professionals, medical field and more together to make changes for the better. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Much appreciated.
I’m wishing everyone all the best and am sending you all lots of love, light, positivity, strength and spoons. Feel free to DM me when you have any questions, would love a listening ear or anything else.