Iconically Ill

We talk partial blindness with Matthew Thomas. Matt is a British TV writer and children's author, based in LA. He won Best Drama Pilot in the 2018 Fresh Voices competition and Best One Hour in the 2021 Screencraft TV Pilot. You can see his work in the upcoming TV drama 'Joker's Downfall'.  Follow Matthew on X @mrmattthomas Show transcript  bit.ly/3UKUymI

We talk dating while disabled with Jacqueline and Alexa Child Jacqueline and Alexa are sisters and founders of Dateability, the only dating app for disabled and chronically ill people. After becoming disabled as a teenager, Jacqueline experienced a great deal of ableism, particularly in the dating space. Together, Jacqueline and Alexa collaborated on creating a safe and inclusive platform for the...

We talk Fibromyalgia with Anna Hamilton. Anna is a writer and comedian based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their hobbies include watching bad movies with their partner, reading, and spending time with their very spoiled Yorkie mix, Sushi. Anna's essays have appeared in the Disability Visibility Project, Welcome to Hell World, and many other publications. They also publish a humor newsletter calle...

We talk acromegaly with Ellen Ko. Ellen Ko was diagnosed at age 26 with acromegaly due to a pituitary tumor. Acromegaly is a growth hormone condition which affects every aspect of the body - it causes changes inside and out, and both physical and mental. She underwent surgery and is on a medical regimen which has stabilized and controlled her hormone levels. Over two decades after her diagnosis, E...

We talk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Natalia Surin. In the spring of 2018, at the age of 21, Natalia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) during her senior year at UMass Amherst studying hospitality & business management. Born and raised in Boston with only a couple months left until graduation, her life was turned upside down sending her down a grueling treatment plan. For t...

We talk Intestinal Autoimmune Disease with Katerina Vrana Katerina is one of Greece's top stand-up comedians, performing stand-up in both Greek and English all over the world, her shows selling out in Athens and London and at the Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. CNN included her in its list of "Female Comedians To Watch" and in 2016 she came third in the Laugh Factory...

We talk limb differences Madeleine Stewart Disability advocate and award-winning comedian Madeleine Stewart charms audiences everywhere with a sweet demeanour, veiling razor-sharp wit. With over a decade of experience in standup comedy, you may have seen Madeleine perform with the likes of Adam Hills, Rove McManus, & Reuben Kaye. Creator of the viral video on Marriage Equality for ABC Iview (reach...

We talk chronic illness with Bloom Davis. Bloom is an outdoor educator, facilitator, and artist with a passion for creating inclusive spaces that empower individuals and communities. As someone living with chronic health conditions, Bloom is dedicated to supporting others to get outdoors in ways that are accessible and meaningful. With experience as a backpacking guide in Yellowstone and a JMT and...

We talk narcolepsy with Kathryn Dunn. Kathryn Dunn has been learning and teaching improv in and around New York for decades. She's studied at renowned New York theaters The People's Improv Theater (PIT), Upright Citizen's Brigade (UCB), and The Magnet. She has extensive training in various techniques for long form Improv, short form improv, musical improv, puppet-prov, sketch comedy, coaching impr...

We talk blindness with Dustin D'Addato. Dustin is an Emmy Award winning writer, director, producer and performer based in New York City.  Despite being legally blind he's been involved in some of the largest events in television and streaming history.   Follow Dustin at @ddaddato on Instagram Show transcript bit.ly/3UKUymI  

We talk breast cancer with Lauren Stripling. Lauren grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was that girl who played the harp at your cousin's wedding. Colder climes called, and she got her B.A. in English from Yale before pursuing a Master's in Education while teaching English in the Bronx. She taught creative writing to thousands of students over a decade of work with Story Pirates and spent yea...

We talk Deafness with Adam Pottle. Adam is a Deaf writer whose works span multiple genres. His books include the prairie gothic novel Apparitions, the dark fantasy musical The Black Drum, and the historical suspense novel The Bus. He was the 2021-22 writer in residence at Sheridan College and was a 2022 Warner Bros Discovery Access screenwriting fellow. He has a PhD in English literature and has t...

We talk stroke with Sean Chang. Sean is a Brooklyn-based performer and writer originally from California. He is a young stroke survivor, having had a stroke when he was 22, that resulted in invisible disabilities, right sided weakness, and tremors. He started comedy as a way to find joy and make others laugh, and it's helped him better understand himself and his relationship with his disability. H...

We talk stomach cancer with Madelein Murphy. With over a decade of experience and a dynamic stage presence, Madelein Murphy has conquered comedy stages around the globe. From headlining at prestigious colleges and comedy clubs to entertaining audiences on cruise ships, Madelein's hilarious performances have garnered international acclaim. Her debut album, "Belle of the Ball," soared to #1 on iTune...

We talk Spina Bifida with Jack Freeman. Jack was born with spina bifida, a neurological birth defect, and walks with a leg brace. This past year he's been touring a solo show called Embrace Me about dating with a disability. He's performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, IndyFringe, as well as theaters around the country. Jack has also played LaughFest, Plano Comedy Festival, Portland ME Comedy Festival....

We talk CIPD with Anna DiBlosi At 26, Anna DiBlosi experienced the sudden onset of an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder that completely turned her life upside down. She went from working full-time, having a social life and living her dream in Los Angeles, CA to being fully bed-bound and reliant on her family for care. For years, she was a "medical mystery," struggling to be heard by medical professi...

We talk Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Mast cell activation syndrome with Katie Hutch. Katie Hutch is an NYC-based award-winning performer, writer and director. Hutch stars as Abe Lincoln in the Amazon Prime feature film Lincoln the Musical, a Hamilton parody mockumentary. She has been seen Off-Broadway in Frankenstein the Musical, Off Off-Broadway roles including Super Crazy Fun Times and Hungry, Hun...

We talk Stage IV Breast Cancer with Robin Browne. Robin Browne is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist. She's had cancer twice, and has been living with stage IV breast cancer since 2015. Robin has written a long-standing column for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls website called "What's my Stage Again." She's collaborated with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation on several awareness campaigns, and is on...

We talk Lupus with Kristina Stasi. Kristina Stasi is a multiracial actress, singer, certified sound healer, and overall funny girl living in Los Angeles. She previously performed sketch, musical improv, and hip-hop improv at Magnet Theater and Peoples Improv Theater in NYC. She loves playing trivia and has been on numerous game shows including Cash Cab and $100,000 Pyramid. One day, she hopes to b...

We talk jaw surgeries and Endometriosis with Shannon Krowicki. Shannon Krowicki is an actor, singer and comedian based in NYC. In her twenties, she had three major jaw surgeries that changed the course of her life and career. She now has titanium jaw joint prosthetics, fibromyalgia and Stage IV endometriosis that went undiagnosed for 25 years. When she's not suffering from her medical ailments, Sh...

We talk 5 auto-immune disorders with Dena Paduano. Dena Paduano is a radiant soul, born and raised in Orange County and Los Angeles, California. After years of pursuing her passion for acting, life took an unexpected turn when chronic pain and illness entered her story. Diagnosed with five advanced autoimmune diseases and enduring 34 surgeries, Dena faced immense challenges. But through it all, sh...

We talk wheelchairs and acting with Shannon DeVido. Shannon DeVido is an actress seen on Difficult People, Cross on Prime Video and Lucky Hank on AMC+. She has won the Elliot Norton Award, BAFTA Breathrough Award, The VIacomCBS Showcase 2021 Award and Casting Society of America Top 20 Award Follow Shannon at @shannondevido on instagram Show transcript bit.ly/3UKUymI

We talk ADHD with Kento Morita.  NYC-based actor & comedian Kento Morita has lit up stages at SketchFest Seattle, Toronto Sketchfest, SF Sketchfest & the Asian Comedy Festival. He starred as Shintaro Nakaoka in Rise of the Ronin, and appears in an upcoming Warner Bros Animation, as well as does improv for kids with The Story Pirates. He's also a one of the producers and creator of shows, Duty Free...

We talk PMDD with Lauren Brickman.  Lauren Brickman is a NY-Based performer, creator, and educator. As a performer Lauren has been featured in such projects as FBI: Most Wanted, Ghost: Book of Power, Bull, Gloria Bell, and more! She performs monthly in the Pop-Culture Comedy show, We Stan Together, at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in NYC. When not living her artist life she can be found in...

We talk Locked-In Syndrome with Jake Haendel.  Jake Haendel, the "miracle man," is the only documented person to survive stage four Acute Toxic Progressive Leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease that left him locked in. While he couldn't move, speak, or breathe on his own, Jake remained fully aware and retained all feeling in his body. His covert consciousness and eventual recovery have fascina...