Brooke Slick is a spirited MS advocate, podcast host and blogger who counsels and connects with patients of all levels of disability from around the world.

Since MS entered her life 19 years ago, she has taken the long and unpredictable walk from able-bodied go-getter to disabled motivator. She draws on her personal experience of living through the physical decline of a once able body to thrive beyond the disability with a positive outlook that transcends any physical shortcomings.

If there is a bright side to a situation, she is going to find it and she’s not going to rest until you are able to pull yourself into the light as well. Her personal mantra, ‘disabled does not mean unable’ is a guiding force behind her message. She vows to empower people living with MS by helping to recalibrate the way they think about themselves and their future with a potentially disabling disease. She wants them to know there is happiness and worthiness to be found beyond your diagnosis.

Brooke’s time spent blogging her multiple sclerosis treatment journey while living in Moscow, Russia, for her followers from over 90 countries at www.msslick.com, and continuing to blog her everyday life at www.brookeslick.com has served her well as she transitioned to full-time advocate. Saying out loud what others are thinking but are afraid to share is her forte. She believes truth telling can heal the soul and free you of a self-encumbered future.

Since May of 2019, she’s used her voice and connections within the MS community as a host of The MS Gym Podcast with download numbers doubling since she came on board. Never wanting to miss out on any segment of the MS community, her episodes have featured anything from applying for Social Security disability, to diets, to depression. Most recently, she was asked to host the MS Gym’s 2020 Virtual Thrive Summit where she interviewed renowned experts in the fields of telemedicine, anxiety, nutrition and the MS connection to the Epstein Barr virus. Brooke’s story has been shared in publications such as the book and podcast, Healthcare Elsewhere, as well as many newspapers, newscasts and medical publications. Using her own experience as a stepping stone, for the past seven years she has been the lead admin for a global group of 7000+ members seeking stem cell transplants for various autoimmune diseases. In addition, she has a loyal following from the autoimmune sector on Instagram and Facebook.

Last, but definitely not least, Brooke created and subsequently patented a versatile mobility/assistive device aimed at providing its users with the independence, relevance and engagement in life that they deserve. She is currently seeking manufacturers to entertain licensing the device while providing international distribution to users in need around the globe. Originally from Pennsylvania, with a legal, medical and marketing background, Brooke spent 10 years based in New York City while traveling the world, and five more in South Florida where her daughter was born, before returning to her roots in Pennsylvania with her husband, Doug.

Jazmin received her kidney transplant in late 2020. Six month later in March 2021 she is currently  awaiting pancreas transplant. Her motto is “Drink too much coffee and love to laugh”.

January 31, 2018 will always be a special day for me, as that was the day that, through the selfless act of donation, I received my second chance at life with a heart transplant. Before that day, I was told that without a new heart, I would have a year or so left to live. Now, I can do things I never dreamed I could prior to transplant; I love to hike and exercise, love to volunteer with our local Organ Procurement Agency, and my family and I started a nonprofit last year, Heartfelt Help Foundation that assists Bay Area heart transplant recipients with both sourcing and paying for the right kind of medically required post-transplant housing. Though this temporary relocation is required, it is, at best, only minimally covered by insurance and that is where we come in. All of this is possible, because of an organ donor.

Daniel G. Garza has been a Patient Leader for about 20 years. He began his public speaking career after his AIDS diagnosis in September of 2000. He has lived Clean & Sober since June 21, 2007. After being diagnosed with Anal Cancer in May 2015, he had an Ostomy surgery in 2016, was diagnosed with Agoraphobia in 2017 and Diabetes in 2018. All of these events contributed to allowing those that hear his story and take a closer look at the long-term effects of HIV.  

Daniel shares his story on social media, through several campaigns such as Positively Fearless, and volunteers for organizations such as Radiant Health Centers in Irvine California. He works with Wisdo as a Mentor, WEGO Health as a consultant and Global Healthy Living Organization as a member of the LGBT-COVID-19 Committee. Through his company Lilmesican Productions, Daniel and his partner, Christian, produce livestream content that is geared towards adding a positive message to their community.  

Nathalie Garcia was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was just 16 years old following an accident during high school. Before her diagnosis, she was extremely familiar with IBD as her brother almost lost his life due to ulcerative colitis following a misdiagnosis from lack of medical testing. As a result, she grew passionate about improving health literacy and patient advocacy from realizing the flaws in accessing specialized medical care firsthand.  Nathalie is now a Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network Fellow and hopes to share her story with other members of the IBD community to reassure others they are not alone. Her experiences with multiple medications and the psychological and physical effects of IBD have increased her awareness of how IBD affects those diagnosed on a spectrum. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare and continue her advocacy journey alongside Lyfebulb to inspire others to find hope in spite of their chronic illness and advocate for innovative resources for those with IBD.

Alisha is a fiery, poetic redhead living on the Canadian prairies. After complications due to a metabolic liver condition she was diagnosed with shortly after birth, she received a liver transplant in August 2020. She is a grief embodiment worker, speaker and writer raising awareness for organ donation and medical trauma. She lives with her husband and their rescue puppy and is a lover of coffee and all things cozy.

In 1999 Marilyn was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and in 2010 she became insulin dependent. Family genetics, an unhealthy diet and being overweight most likely contributed to the onset of her diagnosis. Appointed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Marilyn proudly serves as a Tennessee Health Ambassador who is trained and certified through the Office of Minority Health and Disparity Elimination.  Her desire is to develop and implement grass root initiatives in underserved communities in the area of Health and Wellness. Marilyn believes two things, that you cannot exercise away a bad diet and that healthy eating is key to managing and controlling diabetes. Inspired by her granddaughters and a last promise she made to her mother also a type 2 diabetic, led Marilyn to create her first nonprofit organization, Sugga Mommas Cooking Club.

Focusing on the future, our children, SMCC is housed in a local Nashville community center and is a part of their summer camp programming. Sugga Mommas provides the opportunity to young girls whose families may not be able to afford summer camp or cooking classes. Marilyn’s second partner is The Old School Farm, which provides SMGC with fresh organic produce, gardening space, a commercial kitchen and a chef that teaches them how to prepare their harvest in bulk.  Among children born in 2000, forty nine percent of African American girls will face a lifetime risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. Our goal is that our program will identify and help to reverse bad habits contributing to the future projections on our children’s health and well-being Marilyn believes God’s greatest gift to woman is the power of influence, and as mothers with the right information we can teach our children how to make healthier lifestyle choices that will carry on for generations! 

My Momma Said, ”Marilyn baby, get it together, lead by example, lose the weight and inspire others like you to do the same!” I feel she left me a great roadmap and I hope that you will join in and take the journey with me! I AM keeping that promise!

David Lyons was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2006 at the age of 47. A bodybuilder and former owner of fitness centers, Lyons made the choice to fight MS head-on through bodybuilding. He founded the MS Bodybuilding Challenge in 2008, and in 2009, at age 50, competed in his first bodybuilding contest with MS, winning a Most Inspirational trophy. He went on to be presented with the Milestone Award by the National MS Society for his accomplishments. In 2012, Lyons and his wife, Kendra, a registered nurse, created the MS Fitness Challenge to support people with MS in their efforts to stay as fit as possible, overcome limitations, and keep their bodies moving. The cause also educates trainers on fitness for MS.

In 2013 Lyons received the Health Advocate of the Year Award alongside fitness icon Lou Ferrigno and in 2015, he was honored by bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger with the Health Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016 Lyons received the Lifetime Fitness Inspiration Award from the Global Bodybuilding Organization, an international fitness federation, and in 2017 was acknowledged by the National Fitness Hall of Fame (NFHOF) with a Special Recognition Award. Later that year he was asked to be one of the Founding Partners of the NFHOF Institute for education and in 2019 David was the only fitness expert with MS to be inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame. Lyons has been named the Most Dedicated MS Fitness Expert worldwide by both Global Health and Pharma and Global 200 in 2019 and 2020. He was voted as one of the Top 100 Healthcare Leaders by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare in 2020.

Lyons is the author of David’s Goliath, an autobiographical story of his journey with MS, and his fitness book, Everyday Health and Fitness with Multiple Sclerosis, a #1 New Release on Amazon is for anyone who wants to get in top shape while battling physical or emotional obstacles to getting started.

David is engaged in many fitness initiatives for MS, including being the author of the MS trainers’ courses for both the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) and the MedFit Education Foundation; and speaking on MS and fitness at the nationwide Medical Fitness Tour.

In his latest branding venture, David has created a unique fitness website for the MS community under his OptimalBody brand called the OptimalBody Training Program for MS. This interactive platform educates and trains people with MS in his one of a kind Training Methods that creates neuroplasticity, muscle fiber activation, and brain to muscle reconnection.

I’m a 46-year-old high school teacher who underwent a triple bypass on May 24th, 2018. I was also diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes after my surgery. Diabetes is generational and I hoped to fly under the radar, with no luck. I have been able to manage my levels with diet and exercise, with two tri-athletes as my mentors I accept their challenges willingly. I look forward to sharing my journey and how my family’s medical history was the catalysts that lead to my heart attack and my type 2 diagnosis.

Liz was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic in 2014 at the age of 23. With a passion for all things insulin, Liz had just begun graduate school to pursue a PhD in cellular and molecular biology to study insulin signaling in insects. The struggle of balancing the stress of grad school and being a newly diagnosed diabetic, Liz learned the obstacles that many diabetics face first hand. From dealing with insurances to get medications to the mental health issues around stigmas, she knew that she needed to be her own advocate. Through her own health journey and diabetes management, Liz fell in love with connecting with other people, both diabetic and non-diabetic, to take back control of their own health and helping them becoming their own advocates too. Liz began coaching others on their health journey through a partnership with Beachbody and is working on building her own mentorship business.