My Health and Fashion Journey.

For as long as I can remember I’ve struggled with my health. From being diagnosed with a serious heart condition when I was only four years old, to developing a chronic illness just after I turned eleven, it’s always been something I’ve had to deal with.

Throughout my childhood, I had to wear heart monitors to monitor my heart condition, called Ventricular Tachycardia. Heart monitors aren’t exactly discrete, and I was really embarrassed to go out in public wearing one. This became a problem considering how frequently I had to wear one, and because the whole point of it was to monitor my heart rhythm while I was doing my normal activities. On top of that, the leads were itchy, and the cords would get tangled. I struggled to find clothes that hid the monitor while still looking cute, so I usually resorted to an oversized sweatshirt. This only made me more uncomfortable because sweatshirts are not the most breathable material and I didn’t feel confident in what I was wearing.

At age eleven I was diagnosed with a condition called Dysautonomia, and when I was sixteen my health took a turn for the worse. I ended up spending over a year completely housebound and had to drop out of high school the beginning of my Sophomore year.  Fashion became an outlet for me - it’s what got me out of bed every morning and what kept me motivated to get myself as healthy as possible. I spent a lot of time at doctors offices ,as well as other health facilities, and was basically the only time I left my house. I was so sick of wearing leggings and a sweatshirt while my cute school clothes just hung in my closet, so I started dressing up for my appointments . Not only did dressing up make me feel confident again, I began to realize that I got a lot more respect from doctors when I kept up with my appearance. That is the point when I discovered how truly important fashion is in so many different and unexpected aspects of life.

Fast forward to today - I am a full-time student at the Fashion Institute of  Technology in New York City - while still navigating life with a chronic illness. I also volunteer with Advocate Children’s Hospital’s Narrative Medicine Program in Park Ridge, IL. I have spoken at several conferences where I have shared my story and how beneficial Narrative Medicine has been to my care. I am so passionate about both fashion and health care, and have always wished I could find a way to combine the two.

Attending FIT has pushed me way beyond what I thought I was capable of, and has made me realize that my ultimate goal is to design adaptive wear for the fashion forward customer. Throughout my four semesters at FIT, I have had plenty of opportunities to explore this further and even design a couple of adaptive wear and multifunctional pieces. This has opened my eyes to so many more possibilities in the design world. I have also had the chance to connect with so many new people and hear some inspiring stories, as well as share my own.

Speaking from my own personal experience, as well as talking to other people, living with a chronic illness can really affect one’s identity and self-confidence. My goal is to design clothes that make living with a chronic illness or disability a little bit easier, while helping maintain personal image. Follow along on my journey to revolutionize fashion  by making it accessible for everyone.

If you have your own experience living, or caring for someone, with a chronic illness or disability, make sure to head over to the “Share Your Story” tab!