Unum Co. reposted this
Megan's advocacy journey began long before Unum Co.; it started when she was a teenager during the process of her Crohn's disease diagnosis. I'm so proud to share these beautiful images of Megan alongside her story. It's one that reminds us all of the power of lived experience—a perspective that we, at Unum Co., deeply value. Megan's vulnerability has sparked conversations, empowered others in the Crohn’s community, and inspired healthcare providers to rethink how they engage with patients living with chronic illnesses. It’s proof that real change begins with real stories. Thank you to our friends at Patient Voice for amplifying the voices of people like Megan.
“All through high school, I suffered from serious anxiety rooted in my stomach issues. I would get nauseous, could hardly eat, had excruciating abdominal pain, and had diarrhea 10 or more times a day. By grade 12, I was missing school, social events, and opportunities, simply because I was nervous about not finding a bathroom in time. I even had a few close calls where I almost didn’t make it to the bathroom. And I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone about any of it. In my first year of university, after a lot of advocating for testing, a colonoscopy revealed five ulcers in my small intestine and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. It’s a shitty diagnosis to receive, no pun intended, but it changed everything for me in the best way. Finally, I could get on medication and put a name to what was going on in my body. And once I could name it, I found I could talk about it. Soon after, I started The Gut Gazette to blog about my #Crohns experience and launched a support group on campus for students and faculty with digestive diseases. The response was eye-opening. I discovered that by talking about my illness and my experiences, I could help others — and that, in the process, I was also healing myself. Over time, I grew steadily more involved in advocacy, becoming passionate about helping others find their own voices and sharing stories that are often stigmatized. It amazes me how often better outcomes can be created simply by speaking up about the things we’re scared to talk about. The confidence I’ve gained from sharing my own journey has opened doors I never imagined. Today, I’m co-founder of a company that focuses on integrating patient experiences into health care solutions. I’m on the board of Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, as a patient partner. I’m a proud mom of two with an incredible husband, and I’m living a life that teenage me couldn’t have imagined. This is not to say that everything is perfect. Crohn’s never goes away. I still deal with pain, urgency, fatigue, and bathroom anxiety. It’s very unpredictable. But I don’t struggle alone and I don’t struggle in silence.” Megan Whitby, ON Crohn’s disease
Thank you for sharing this on ❤️ Megan Marsiglio , your strength, vulnerability and honesty are so powerful. Thank you for doing what you do. The patient voice is so powerful. You are leading the way ☺️
Newly retired but still a Patient Visionary
1wThanks for sharing such a meaningful story Megan Marsiglio and I love that you “no longer struggle in silence”. It is only in vulnerably sharing stories like these that we help others to come out of the woodwork so that they too “no longer struggle alone”. Keep up the great advocacy work!