It’s We Are ILL Week, and our Director of Communications, Ashley Ratcliff Lundy (@ashleyadores), is sharing what this community means to her.

After her MS diagnosis, Ashley found something in We Are ILL that she didn’t even know she was looking for, the reassurance that life after a diagnosis could still be beautiful, fulfilling, and full of possibility. She found community, sisterhood, and a place where she could show up as her whole self and know she wasn’t alone. And since joining the team, she’s made it her mission to pour that same love and support into every Black woman navigating chronic illness who walks through these doors. That’s what makes this organization different. The women behind the work aren’t doing it from the outside looking in. They’re living it, they understand it, and every program, conversation, and experience we create is rooted in that care. Knowing that the work helps another woman feel seen, supported, and hopeful about her future? That’s why we do this. This week is a celebration of everything this community has built, and it’s because of women like Ashley who show up every day with their whole hearts that it keeps growing. #WeAreILLMatic #WeAreILLWeek #ChronicIllnessCommunity #BlackWomenWellness