“My diagnosis was a gift to me.” Our founder Victoria Reese Brathwaite (@picturethisvic) sat down with Montel Williams, who will be our keynote speaker for Wellness Week(end) 2026, on his podcast…

and he asked her what she’s learned about herself because of MS that she never would’ve known without it. Her answer was everything. She grieved the idea that life was going to be this straight path of complete upward mobility, all positive, no curves, no fight required. She grieved the version of life where things just came easy. But what she didn’t have to grieve? The person she became because of it. Her diagnosis led her to a life of servitude, and she means that in the most beautiful way. It gave her a community, an extended family she didn’t know she needed but wouldn’t have without it. It gave her a career, a creative outlet, a place to pour every talent she’d been building for years into something that serves and supports. It gave her stages all over the world. It sat her down across from Montel Williams, and even she said, “That’s insane, but it’s led me here.” It showed her she’s not just a fighter. She’s a thriver. She’s a survivor. And it’s been really beautiful, actually. This is the conversation you don’t want to miss. Full episode link in bio. #WeAreILLMatic #PatientInYou #MontelWilliams #MSCommunity #BlackWomenWithMS