Together We Thrive

The Mighty is an online community where young patients can share their experiences, find support, and connect with others who truly get it. Whether you prefer reading stories, listening to podcasts, or joining discussions, there’s a space for you here!

You can explore The Mighty through their website, app, or YouTube channel, and they have 700+ health communities covering everything from rare disorders to ADHD, mental health, and more. Check out their “Teens & Young Adults” section to find support from people your age!

Content Warning: This resource discusses topics like mental illness, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide.

Stupid Cancer is all about bringing together adolescents and young adults affected by cancer. They offer five online and in-person programs to help you connect, learn, and share your story.

Here’s what they offer:

• Stupid Cancer Stories: Read real stories from young cancer patients about their journeys, challenges, and victories.

• Discussion Series: Join 90-minute online workshops that do a deep-dive into a chosen topic of the month. The first section is a recorded presentation, followed by a discussion in small groups. Check out their Video Vault for past Discussion Series on cancer & intimacy, mental health & wellbeing, and more!

• CancerCon: An in-person conference in Washington, DC where young cancer patients gather to learn from experts, share personal stories, and build community.

• Meetups: Want to connect with other young cancer patients who get it? Stupid Cancer offers meetups throughout the year. In-person meetings take place all over the USA. Can’t make it in-person? Join their online sessions! Check-out their calendar for the full updated meetup schedule.

And more!

Health Talk is a website that offers patient support for 50+ medical conditions including epilepsy, chronic pain, long-term health conditions, and many more. You can search for your condition, learn coping mechanisms from other patients and healthcare professionals, listen to personal stories, and connect on community forums.

This website is perfect for learning about your medical condition and how to tackle it!

Rare Youth Revolution is an online magazine for kids and teens living with rare medical conditions. This magazine helps empower youth and their families by sharing real stories and advice straight from other young people who understand what it’s like. 

Check out their wide range of topics:

• Women in RARE: Hear about the unique challenges and triumphs that girls and women face while living with rare conditions.

• Advocacy Corner: Learn how to speak up for yourself and get the care you deserve.

• Letters to My Younger Self: Young adults share what they wish they had known when they were younger and living with a rare disease.

• The World of Work: Get tips on how to transition into adulthood and start your career, even while managing a rare condition.

• Our Voices & Our Voices Kids: Read stories from other youth sharing their personal journeys, struggles, and successes.

• And many more!

Want to share your own story? You can submit your voice to be featured on their blog!

Chronic Conundrums is a podcast channel that shares the voices of young people with health conditions. With a total of 8 episodes, they discuss the unique experience of being a kid or teen with chronic health conditions. Topics include hospital admissions, treatment, tackling adulthood, and more!

In this 50 minute podcast episode, the hosts of the Sickboy Podcast interview KYRIANNA. She is a watercolour artist who uses her art to spread awareness on the struggles of chronic pain. Listen to KYRIANNA’s experiences living with a health condition since she was 12. She discusses the dismissal and gaslighting that comes with having an ‘invisible illness’. She shares how art is her mode of emotional expression, sharing her difficult health experiences with the world.

Pamela Rae Schuller, a New-York comedian with Tourettes and OCD, shares the good and the bad of living with her health conditions. On this hour-long podcast episode, she shares her experiences of dating with a disability and a mental health condition. She takes a witty and light-hearted approach to her stories, making sure you’ll leave the podcast enlightened!

Ever wondered about how your life would change if you took a drug that could change the course of your illness? In this hour and a half episode, a young woman with Cystic Fibrosis discusses her experience taking Trikafta, a life-altering drug. She delves into the challenges of adjusting to a new chapter in life, the effects of the drug on her mind, body, and future, and the unexpected burdens that come with taking the drug. If you are curious about the pros and cons of taking an illness-altering drug, this episode is for you!

In this 7-minute TEDxYouth talk, Emily Bonia empowers young chronic illness patients to pave their own path to a successful life. She discusses how her Crohn’s Disease diagnosis impacted her dream career, and the steps she took to find a job that simultaneously accommodated to her medical needs and provided her a sense of fulfillment and joy.

Are you looking for a creative way to express your emotions? In this 10-minute YouTube video, the creator Art By Stella Chang guides viewers in reflecting on their personal experiences while making art. She draws on her own experiences with lupus to paint a self-portrait featuring her growth, with the message that your illness does not define you. Follow along with the video to create your very own healing art piece!

In this 12-minute video, professional tennis star Venus Williams talks about her journey with Autoimmune Disease. She discusses how to get diagnosed, how to improve symptoms, how illness affects her life, and general advice for anyone dealing with a long-term illness. 

Her story is a reminder that your illness doesn’t define you. You can achieve your dreams if you believe in yourself!

The YouTube channel You Look Okay To Me is run by a young woman living with chronic illness. She makes 5-20 minute video essays discussing a variety of topics, including “The chronic illness guide to working from home”, “Why is it so hard to describe my pain”, and “Things not to say to someone with a chronic illness”. 

She also discusses intersections between being chronically ill and being a person of colour (POC), offering a perspective that is crucial in understanding the experiences of marginalized groups. 
Check out her instagram @youlookokaytome for reels and posts you can relate to!

In this 40 minute video, Ella Rabin, a Juvenile Arthritis patient, talks about her journey navigating life with chronic illness. She discusses the importance of self-advocacy and communication, and how it helped her get accommodations at school.