I am co-captain of the Invincible Invisibles for a second year and walking the Race for Every Child to raise awareness for chronic illnesses, especially POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia), and other forms of Dysautonomia, and funding for much-needed research.

Over the last couple years, I have spent countless hours in different departments at Children's as a team of doctors try to help me manage my conditions.

During my many visits, I’ve come to realize how fortunate I am to have such a great resource nearby, filled with  nurses, nurse practitioners and doctors who go out of their way to take the fear out of unpleasant situations and put their heads together to keep finding ways to  manage complex and puzzling conditions like POTS.  

Over the summer, I saw the hospital through a different perspective, working alongside my nurse practitioner in cardiology, palliative care, and the Long Covid and Sickle Cell clinics.  It reinforced just how much patients from all over the country rely on this amazing resource in our backyard.

While POTS impacts 1 million-3 million Americans, it is still a misunderstood condition with no cure (yet).  It is hard living with an invisible illness since you often look fine on the surface. But underneath, for me, POTS creates a cascade of symptoms like  tachycardia, extremely low blood pressure, fainting, nausea, and constant headaches—and that is on a “good” day.  POTS symptoms present on a spectrum and can fluctuate, which means no two patients are the same and complicates treatment.  I often feel like I'm fighting a battle no one sees so I hope to shed light on the condition and those fighting POTS, as well as other invisible illnesses.

Thank you for joining me to help raise awareness and fundraise for Children's National!