Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March, its accompanying symptoms — “fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell” — have practically been etched in our brains. However, we forget another shared occurrence between COVID-19 patients: their inevitable feeling of isolation. Consider two COVID-19 patients with differing backgrounds: Paul Dewyse, a 57-year-old Michigan resident and a father to three, and Ernesto … Continue reading A Patient Advocate’s Guide to Being Prepared for COVID-19

After two months of the US’s delayed response to COVID-19, our country took widespread measures to quarantine starting in March. Non-essential businesses closed down, companies adopted remote structures, and people were strongly encouraged to stay inside in hopes of minimizing the spread of the virus, watching from home as this pandemic swept the world. Amongst many other upsets with our society, jobs became a huge … Continue reading COVID-19: Exposing the Intrinsic Flaws of Our Healthcare System

I have loved to draw ever since I could pick up a pencil. I doodled in the margins of my homework assignments and tests, and getting a digital art tablet at 13 was one of my happiest moments.  Yet I’d always relegated art to a hobby; an unrealistic career choice that couldn’t make money. But until recently, I was unsure of how art could fit … Continue reading Art and Grassroots Activism: Learning from Frontline Fighters