People with chronic illness obviously suffer through persistent poor health. But they also suffer from people failing to understand their condition. Especially from people who think chronic illness sufferers have lucked out, and are on a lifelong holiday. And to help combat these illusions, actor Jennifer Weisner and The Mighty have made a poignant but lighthearted video. Jennifer is herself a person with systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. And The Mighty is a site and social media page that allows people living with chronic illness the chance to share their experiences.
The video
The video is very to the point, and shows the difference between how people view the chronically ill, and how illness sufferers actually live.
The video raises an important point. Obviously, those of us who are well enjoy time off work. But few of us would choose to leave our jobs if it meant permanent unwellness. And the fact that people say things to the chronically ill like ‘it must be nice not having to go to work’ shows that many people struggle to think beyond their own personal experience.
But this video’s light tone does a great job of showing people the reality without feeling like it’s a lecture.
Understanding
It’s important that we understand the situation of others. The best way of doing that is by engaging with people. And this video and others from The Mighty are doing a great job of giving a platform to people who have too often gone unheard.
Get Involved!
– You can follow The Mighty and Jennifer Weisner on Facebook.
– You can also see The Mighty’s videos on YouTube.
Featured image via YouTube