Richmond, Virginia. An artist and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Emily Sara is also a healthcare advocate with plenty of hard-won wisdom. Since she was a child, Emily has navigated the challenging waters of the American healthcare system in a series of moves from coast to coast. In this three-part series, we talk extensively about healthcare—especially for women—and related moments of heartbreak, frustration, inspiration. In the process, resources are also revealed for others navigating the system. (See links below.)
But even more, Emily’s story is about finding her center in a body that has not made it easy for her. To say she’s comfortable in her own skin is a simplification, but she inhabits our most elemental structure in a way that is nothing less than revolutionary.
Part One. Emily shares her early experiences with the discovery of a challenging medical situation. Revealing the importance of a support system as well as a sense of humor, she ventures out on her own and eventually finds her way to Los Angeles.
Emily at her apartment in Richmond, Virginia, February 2018.
Resources
Assisters and Agents/Brokers Links: https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/
Mayo Clinic, Pain Rehabilitation Center: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/overview
Women’s Center for Creative Work: http://womenscenterforcreativework.com
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (available 24 hours everyday)