I am so excited to share this news with you! I have been nominated for the 2018 WEGO Health Award in the Best In Show: Blog category!

I first heard about WEGO Health Awards last year when one of the lovely warriors I follow on Instagram was nominated for her advocacy efforts. I later joined them on Twitter for a few of their live chats too. I thought it was a great idea to give recognition to these chronic illness warriors who are not only battling their own illnesses, but continue to raise awareness and support the communities they serve.

I was certainly not expecting to ever be nominated for one myself! This is a huge honour and I am so very grateful.

What is WEGO Health All About?

What Are The WEGO Health Awards?

The WEGO Health Awards were created to celebrate those patients who actively support the mission of WEGO Health: to empower the patient voice.

With 16 award categories, these are the only awards covering all conditions and platforms, that recognise the thousands of inspiring Patient Leaders who raise awareness, share information and support their communities, often without recognition.

My Blog Nomination

I am so grateful to whoever nominated me for this award. What a surprise I got when I saw that email from WEGO Health!

As a patient myself, my aim with this blog and my social media accounts has always been to share useful information, raise awareness and encourage other people with chronic illnesses. I know how clueless I was when I was first diagnosed and how lost I felt trying to navigate the healthcare system who seemed to know very little about my condition. I felt misunderstood and isolated.

I know how vital my connection to other patients was and I decided that I would do what I can to make that whole transition easier for anybody else who finds themselves on this same path I am on. We do not need to struggle on this path alone!

The Importance Of Sharing Our Stories

Although each of us experience our illnesses differently, there is power in sharing our personal stories. People who are struggling will realise they are not alone, that there are people who understand what they are going through. And people who read our stories might discover new ways to help manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

The WEGO Health Awards Celebration

This year, the 16 WEGO Health Award winners will be honoured at an in-person celebration in October co-hosted by the Society of Participatory Medicine at the Connected Health Conference.

How You Can Support Chronically Hopeful

Endorsements are now open, which means you can vote for Chronically Hopeful to win the Blog Award.

If I have ever supported you, made you smile, or inspired you to keep fighting – please consider endorsing me for this award. Click here to be taken to my WEGO Health Awards profile where you can click the orange “Endorse” button under my photo.

Thank you for your support and encouragement! I love what I do, am passionate about helping others with chronic illness, and am grateful I still have the opportunity and ability to do all this in my current state. This community is a blessing to me, I only hope one day I could do even more to help others. ​