Not alone

‘I didn’t want to feel alone…’ is something I hear day in and day out in my interviews with patients, and not just those with rare disorders but even those diagnosed with the most common cancers you can get. Because even in those situations, you may be the only person you know with it at the time.

The desire to not feel alone in dealing with a chronic illness has driven so many to seek out support groups. So much so, that Facebook leads as the platform most turn to in times of distress for help. I’m not sure that was ever Mark Zuckerberg’s intention but if anything good does come out of a group of young men creating a site to judge the attractiveness of fellow college students, I’d say this was one.

I even came across an article pointing to how Mattel, the maker of Barbie, has created a line of Barbies representing not only deaf, blind, but now people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Can we say genius! Just thinking about how many children and young adults diagnosed with this have likely felt quite alone in dealing with the condition, and as we know dealing with an ailment often becomes part of your identity, who you are, how you act, what you can do. It’s fantastic that not only has Barbie evolved from perfection to at least more average but now inclusive of people who deal with these issues day in and day out.

In doing a little more research, American Doll, Lego, and Build a Bear also offer products that are aimed at people with disabilities. Hopefully more awareness and more utilization of such products can help more people not feel so alone dealing with their chronic condition.