About

Hi! I’m Becky.

I’m a college student from Chicago, IL. I like rock climbing, sour candy, and spending time with my friends. I really like naps. My favorite movie is a tie between Monsters Inc. and When Harry Met Sally.

When you look at me, I look normal. I go to class, have a job, and hang out with my friends. But what you can’t tell from looking at me that I live with a chronic illness. And when you’re 21, “sick” is not the most exciting or relatable thing to be.

When I was 8, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive system. And with that diagnosis and the medication I was given to manage it came a host of unflattering and un-fun symptoms.

As a kid, I never talked about it. There were times that I wanted to, but I didn’t know how. My friends would just get confused, and who could blame them? So I avoided the topic because it made people uncomfortable. And to be honest, it made me uncomfortable, too.

Eventually, I decided it was time to make up for the lack of awareness and support I noticed as a kid. So, in 2016, when I was 14, I created this blog. I intended for it to be a place for other kids like me to talk about IBD and realize that they weren’t alone. I wanted a platform where I could raise awareness for something that affected me.

But as I continued to write, and to learn, and to grow, over the years I noticed something: educating people about the existence of chronic illness wasn’t the problem. People know that Crohn’s and other invisible illnesses exist. But they don’t know how to be mindful, how to see past their own stories, and how to support someone fighting a battle they don’t understand.

As I realized this, my posts became less focused on just IBD and more focused on how we treat each other in general. So yes, while I am still “livin’ the crohn’s life” (and I still have the same goofy logo for this site that I made when I was 14), my blog is for anyone, living any kind of life.

I’m still a lot like the 14 year old that started this platform. My ideas aren’t life changing. My stories might be boring., and I don’t have all the answers. But I am honest. I am hopeful. And I am motivated to build a society that has empathy, understanding, and compassion for every person, no matter what life they’re living.