Leave Chronic Illness Behind

The 10 PM fireworks at Magic Kingdom were spectacular as I stood with my grandmother who was in a wheelchair during her recent visit to Orlando. However, the memories I was building were a little different than the usual magical moments at Disney. I was fixated on my grandmother’s comment during the trip: “I wish I could walk again and enjoy the rides with you.” She was suffering from a few chronic illnesses including arthritis, stroke and heart disease which limited simple joys in her life. I did some research on chronic illnesses and realized that it was possible to prevent, manage, or accelerate healing  by following certain life styles, food habits, medical treatments, and most importantly, by caring for the individuals. While family members do their best to take care of loved ones, sometimes connecting people with similar medical conditions can do miracles, as they not only share what worked for them, but also create small groups and communities to motivate each other throughout their journey. I wish to create a social platform that will allow people to connect and cure by encouraging one another while also having access to qualified conventional medical and natural healing professionals to provide support. 


According to the CDC, 120 million people suffer from chronic diseases and conditions—this is half the adult population of America. These conditions can range from heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis, to migraines, asthma, and eating disorders. Apart from physical suffering, these individuals go through an enormous emotional toll, including higher rates of depression.


            It's clear to see that chronic illnesses take a heavy toll on its victims and their friends and families, both physically and mentally, to the point where they may feel distanced or alone in this fight. Being someone who has seen these effects on people closely, I want to let them know that they are not going to be left alone in their journey.

 My name is Akanksha, I'm a high school senior working towards connecting the chronically ill across the nation and providing them with a platform to share their stories and form communities to support them throughout their journey. This fund is to develop an online platform "BeTheVoices.com," which is in progress. This GoFundMe page is the beginning of this effort and I sincerely hope you can join me in this journey to bring the smiles back.