Their journeys motivated them to rally for others and help make improvements in health care.
Their impact is inspiring.
Here are this year’s recipients.
Sharing her experience with an illness that involves intimate bathroom-habit details felt like social suicide, Aswani-Omprakash said.
I lost a circle of friends, but I gained an even bigger community.
The tide is starting to change, and more people are talking about IBD, Aswani-Omprakash said.
She also works to shed light on the mental health impact of those conditions.
These illnesses can take a toll on your self-worth and self-respect.
These illnesses can take a toll on your self-worth and self-respect.
Pamela Littky
Aswani-Omprakash emphasized the importance of finding a trustworthy healthcare team to get the mind/body care you need.
She hopes her work will help educate people to become equal partners in their care.
Choosing a doctor is like dating, she said.
Go with someone who has your back and will educate you on your condition.
We were disappointed by the existing support spaces, Brumel said.
They werent welcoming and often divided us based on our diagnoses, ages, stages, and backgrounds.
Social media brought us all together despite the differences in our experiences.
Were on a mission to support and improve the experiences of the cancer community.
Their advice for new members: You are not alone, said Majsiak.
Its common to feel isolated when receiving a diagnosis or learning you are at high risk of cancer.
This community is here for you.
She also created gluten-free translation cards and celiac-friendly travel guides for her readers to use as resources.
Language barriers and new types of food did not stand in the way of Ettenberg exploring the world.
My natural curiosity about the world has evolved into a curiosity about my conditions.
Ettenberg was later diagnosed withEhlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)andmast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
Pamela Littky
My natural curiosity about the world has evolved into a curiosity about my conditions, she said.
Ettenbergs advice: You have a choice in how you want to approach each day.
Putting energy toward what youre curious about helps deal with the grief.
Gleason and his organization offer innovative solutions aimed at empowering individuals with ALS to preserve their independence and identity.
Im only able to communicate at about 5% the capacity of an ordinary human.
Were working to solve this with our technology partners and brain-machine interface firms.
I feel a profound sense of purpose, meaning, and responsibility in my life.
Team Gleason ensures that families know they have resources at their disposal.
Gleasons work gives him purpose.
yo knock on wood for me.
I feel a profound sense of purpose, meaning, and responsibility in my life.
I feel like life is bringing me exactly what I was made for each day and each moment.
Rhonisha Franklin, R. Dione Foto
The song resonated with people after it was released in 2016, receiving more than 25,000 plays.
Its okay to ask for help; its the most important thing you’re able to do.
PDLB uses hip-hop as the basis for their communication and community.
Im here to tell you that such a perspective is not true.
There are millions of others going through the same thing.
Its okay to ask for help; its the most important thing you’re free to do.
What began as a frightening diagnosis became an opportunity to share his experience.
Over the years, Jonas has learned to prioritize his health and lean on his support system.
Lakshmi is also aNew York Timesbest-selling author.
Lakshmis health improved after her diagnosis, thanks to multiple laparoscopic surgeries.
I saw how much better life was without the shackle of pain that choked normal life, she said.
The last one almost claimed the Dallas-based school counselors life.
Robinsons health improved after she received acoronary stent.
As she recovered, she realized stress was the biggest contributing factor to her heart attacks.
Stress is so damaging to our heart health, she said.
It impacts what we eat.
Stress will take you out.
And theres not enough noise around it.
On top of that, Robinson recounted her interactions with her healthcare providers leading up to her heart attacks.
Whatever your fight is, testify to how it has made you stronger and not weaker.
Weve taken love out of the equation, she said.
They also help people access health insurance and mental health care.
Whatever your fight is, testify to how it has made you stronger and not weaker.
Fight not just for yourself but for others.
Continue to take it personally.
Lets stay in good trouble.
She underwent several medical procedures, including threemyomectomiesto remove fibroids.
The organization is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting fibroid education and research.
In 2021, they authored legislation to name July asUterine Fibroids Awareness Month.
You are the expert and CEO of your body.
Be confident in knowing that.
Be confident in knowing that.
She was surprised by how unprepared she was for this transition.
The mood swings were unpredictable, often surfaced at work, and impacted my family relationships.
Wilson used Google to self-diagnose herself as being inperimenopauseafter she had symptoms for several months.
I was disappointed to find a lack of representative images and insights for women of colorlet alone Black women.
Wilsons advice to other women going through menopause: Suffering isnt inevitable, she said.
Talk to your doctor.
If they cant help you, find another one.
2018; 137:e67e492.
2022;8(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40695-022-00073-y
