In Someone Else’s Shoes

Living with a rare disease can feel like standing in a room full of people, yet being all alone—or like trying to run in shoes that are far too big, constantly stumbling, never getting to where we want or need to be. This isolation and lack of resources—treatments, research, and support—do not fade with time.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with Granulomatosis with Polyiingitis, a rare, incurable disease that narrows blood vessels and starves the organs they’re meant to sustain. It has left me with permanent lung damage, hearing loss, and the need for a cane.

I spent 28 days in the hospital before being diagnosed and was sent home to prepare for death. Every six months, I undergo a painful five-hour treatment followed by weeks of isolation. But instead of surrendering, I turned to painting—something I hadn’t done before. Creating became a way to process what words could not convey, to help others navigate and step into someone else’s shoes.

That journey from survival to storytelling led me to advocacy. Now, through In Someone Else’s Shoes, I use my story and my art to foster empathy and remind us we are more alike than different.