Interviews
To celebrate the differences of people and to continue to bring awareness to chronic illnesses and disabilities, Sarah, the owner of Sava Wellness, has created a new interview series called “Sava Wellness Community: Interview Series”. Sarah will be interviewing people from the chronic illness and disability community to talk about their experiences with chronic illness/disabilities. Through this series we will be able to learn about people with different conditions and their experiences. The strength and resilience of the people Sarah has interviewed is inspiring. The attitudes and skills that they have developed to function, and thrive!, with their conditions is amazing. We will all be impressed with their good attitudes. That being said these interviews are raw and real. We talk about the good and the bad, how it is difficult to live in a world that is built for able bodies, and the grief of the future you once imagined disappearing. Don’t fret though, we also have a lot of fun!
To be inclusive of all types of chronic illness and disabilities the interviews have been conducted in a number of ways. Some were recorded and the videos of the conversations have been posted. Others were done verbally and the interviews transcribed. And still others were done completely via email.
These differences in interviews show that chronic illness and disabilities can affect everyone differently. Some people need the questions beforehand, some need the time to think of their answers, some have such bad brain fog that they need to carefully write out their answers and review them. Each style shows the different ways that people accommodate, and have learned to function, with their chronic illnesses/disabilities.
Sava Wellness is an inclusive space for people to authentically reflect on their chronic illnesses and disabilities, and that is why some of the interviews are written and some are in video format. We thank you for taking the time to look at both kinds of interviews.
Interested in spreading inclusivity or wanting to hear more? Head over to the booking page to hire Sarah for speaking engagements!
Siena 🤍
Siena (she/her) from Toronto who has PCOS, hemangioma, low muscle tone, multiple eye surgeries, and more, talks about her journey and how it has led to her career.
Read more!Ally 🌵
Ally (she/her) from Arizona talks about her diagnosis of primary mitochondrial myopathy with many comorbidities and that she is an ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Read more!Lisa 🐶
Lisa (she/her) from Arizona, USA, talks about her diagnosis of Scimitar Syndrome, or PAPVR, in adulthood and the difficulties of dealing with this disease which is usually diagnosed in childhood. And other diseases of Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Sclerosis Sine’ Scleroderma (ssSSc).
Read more!Lauren 🎤
Lauren (she/her) from Mississauga, ON talks about her diagnosis of Central Core Disease, a neuromuscular disease, and becoming an invisible disability speaker.
Read more!Tiffany🎗
Tiffany (she/her) from Philadelphia, USA, speaks about her experiences of her many diagnosis’ including CRPS, Endometriosis, and more, and her engagement with community.
Read more!Mallory 🎨
Mallory (she/her) from Texas, USA, speaks to her diagnosis’ of Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia. She also talks about how she uses her art to uplift others with chronic conditions and create balance for herself.
Read more!Maira 💪🏼
Maira (she) is from Pakistan and speaks about her chronic illnesses include Vesicoureteral Reflux, Chronic Kidney Disease, and undiagnosed neurological symptoms.
Read more!Saphire 💙
Saphire from Ohio, USA, talks about her diagnosis of Cerebral palsy, asthma, and others, plus the use of mobility aids.
Read more!Charisma 💜
Charisma (she/her) from Atlanta talks about her diagnosis with Lupus, her work in public health, and her aesthetic business.
Read more!Paige 🧘♀️
Paige (she/her) from Ontario, Canada talks about her Klippel-Feil Syndrome and migraine disorder.
Read more!Danielle 🎬
Danielle (she/her) from the USA speaks to her experience with POTS, MCAS, and hEDS. She also talks about how accommodations have allowed her to keep pursuing her passions.
Read more!Emma 🏰
Emma (she/her) from the USA talks about her diagnosis of neutropenia and ankylosing spondylitis. She also speaks to learning to accept a changing bodies abilities.
Read more!Patrick 📚
Patrick (he/him) from the USA talks about his fibromyalgia and his pop-up bookstore that represents the vast diversity of disabilities to increase inclusivity.
Read more!Barbara 🖍
Barbara (she/her) from Manchester, UK, talks about her many chronic illnesses, including Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Scoliosis, Chronic Migraine, Reactive Hypoglycemia, Anxiety, Depression, Agoraphobia, and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and her visual representations of disabilities through her art.
Read more!Mariah 🎨
Mariah (she/her) from the USA shares about her experiences with Crohn’s, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Read more!Amy 🦊
Amy (she/her/hers) from Canada talks about different procedures that need to be done that aren’t related to your diagnosis; how we think that once we get a diagnosis it will be easy, when in fact treatment can be harder; chronic illness/disability books to read and more.
Read more!Geri 🌟
Geri (she/her) from USA talks about her diagnoses of Lupus, Sjogrens, and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She also speaks to how finding a community online of fellow warriors is helpful.
Read more!Lacie 🕊
Lacie (she/her) from the USA is chronically ill, disabled, and blind. She has Bilateral Optic Nerve Hypoplasia and later in life was diagnosed with dysautonomia (POTS). Along with these conditions, she speaks of the challenges of being diagnosed.
Read more!Sarah 🩸
Sarah (she/her) is from South Africa and has sickle cell disease. Sarah describes her experience with this disease and how she came to decide to be a doctor and an advocate to give a voice to people who are unheard.
Read more!Vivian 🌼
Vivian (she/they) is from the USA. Vivian has multiple conditions including the autoimmune disease lupus. Vivian talks about the wide ranging symptoms of lupus and how she is still coming to terms with all of her conditions.
Read more!Tori 🧩
Tori (she/her) from the US talks about her rare disease of HsAN. This disease is rare because there are only 300 people living with it in the world. Tori talks about how the disease impacts her life including not being able to feel pain, regulate her temperature, and more.
Read more!Dania 🌙
Dania (she/her) is from Canada and speaks about her chronic illnesses of scoliosis, colitis, and complications that led to a hip replacement surgery in her twenties. Dania also speaks candidly about how a difference in a diagnosis label can change how you think about yourself.
Read more!Alexis 🌺
Alexis (she/her) from the US speaks of having pulmonary hypertension, societal and internalized ableism, different forms of advocacy, and wearing an oxygen tank.
Read more!Raegan 🐾
Raegan (she/her) from the US speaks of her chronic illnesses of endometriosis, ulcerative colitis, and chronic fatigue, and how sometimes helping one of the illnesses (like exercising for endometriosis) can hurt another (ulcerative colitis).
Read more!Trish ☀️
Trish (she/her) from Canada talks about living with chronic pain, the trials and judgements of living with a invisible disability, and how exciting it is to make your world bigger by making the world fit you.
Read more!Laurely ✨
Laurely (she/her) from the US talks about her endometriosis, mold toxicity, and histamine issues in this interview. She also speaks to the importance of self-advocacy, finding good doctors, functional medicine, and believing in yourself.
Read more!Sarah 🏔
Sarah (she/her/hers), the owner of Sava Wellness, lives in Canada and has dealt with chronic illnesses/disabilities for many years. In this interview, Sarah talks about learning self-advocacy, her diagnoses of Lyme disease and chronic fatigue, grieving, and much more!
Read more!Beth 🌷
Beth (she/her) is an artist that incorporates medical devices into her art. She lives with chronic illness and resides in the UK. Beth has IBD (ulcerative colitis) and talks about the stigma around bodies and how an ostomy is not a cure but a treatment.
Read more!Adele 🌻
Adele (she/her) is an illustrator with chronic illness who lives in the UK. She has chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Adele describes the joy of drawing and how due to her illnesses she has had to create and keep boundaries.
Read more!Courtney 🌴
Courtney (she/her/hers) is a senior scientist with chronic illness who lives in the USA. She has fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. We talk about the difference between having or not having a diagnosis and how both of these can affect your life.
Read more!
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