Arthritis is not a common disease for a healthy 18-year-old — which is probably why it took over a year to diagnose.

Coconut oil is my everything. I spread it over my body in the shower like a shield. I stand under the water and watch it dew over the oil.

I’m the type to check email, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram when sitting on the toilet or trying to procrastinate from doing work.

Growing up, I did not know what a Doula was, nor did I want to be involved in healthcare. I did want to be an advocate for social change, but I wasn’t sure what form that would take.

When I was a kid, I lived with passion, safe in the knowledge that the future was wide open in front of me.

You know from a very early age that something is wrong. You might not know what it is, or where it came from, but the fear is there.