The Project Sleep Podcast

What’s your creative outlet? In this Narcolepsy Nerd Alert, an incredible panel of artists from around the world share their work and discuss the relationship between creative expression and living with narcolepsy.   About Our Guests:   Ulrike Nordquist is a mother of two, photographer, painter, and Rising Voices speaker living in Sweden. She developed type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy at the age o...

Kim Leatherman works with preschoolers with autism and is a health and wellness coach. She was diagnosed with type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy in her early 40s, but has been experiencing symptoms since her late teens. In sharing her story as a Rising Voices speaker, she hopes to shed light on this invisible sleep disorder and the impacts of living with it.   The Rising Voices Series features a...

Kristyn Beecher is a storyteller and news producer from Houston, Texas. She was diagnosed with type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy at age 24, but had lived with symptoms for many years before that. As a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, she tells her own story and hopes to let others living with narcolepsy know they aren’t alone.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of f...

Katie Williamsen is an entrepreneur and web designer. She has lived with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy for over six years and, by sharing her story, aims to raise awareness of this life-changing condition.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of first-hand stories from people living with sleep disorders around the world. At Project Sleep, we believe in the power of storytelling to rais...

Victoria is a homeschooling mother of two, educational diagnostician, and major horse enthusiast. She was diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy at 26 years old and now hopes to raise awareness of this condition. As a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, Victoria shares her experiences finding her diagnosis and living with narcolepsy. Through her story, she hopes to emphasi...

This episode is spoken in Spanish. Grisel Pantoja fue diagnosticada con narcolepsia tipo 1 con cataplejía en 2016 pero esto no le impidió cumplir sus sueños. Grisel recibió su Licenciatura en psicología en FIU (Universidad Internacional de la Florida) con una especialización en educación en el 2017. Actualmente está cursando su maestría de psicología en consejería con especialización en salud ment...

This episode is spoken in French. Anne-Claude Foucault est associée aux opérations et à la mobilité des talents pour une agence de publicité pancanadienne. Elle est mère à temps plein et adore l'activité physique, en particulier le jogging et l'escalade. Elle a vécu sans le savoir avec une narcolepsie de type 1 avec cataplexie pendant 25 ans avant de recevoir son diagnostic en 2018. Aujourd'hui, e...

Anne-Claude Foucault is a Traffic Manager & Operation Partner in a Montreal-based marketing agency, a full-time mother, and a woman who loves physical activity, especially jogging and climbing. She lived with symptoms for 25 years before receiving her diagnosis of type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy in 2018. Now, as a Rising Voices speaker, she hopes to deconstruct the preconceptions and clichés...

Stephanie Manuli is an undergraduate student at North Carolina State University, where she is studying Biochemistry. Stephanie was diagnosed with type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy in 2014 and is now a trained speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices leadership program. Stephanie shares her story with the goal to raise awareness of this misunderstood condition.   The Rising Voices Series featur...

Rachel Nesmith is a wife, mother, and speaker. She was diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy in February 2002 and considers herself a real Superhero. As a Rising Voices trained speaker, she shares her story to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of this misunderstood neurological condition.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of first-hand stories from people living with slee...

Jordan Taylor is a graduate of the University of Alabama where she had a prominent role on the university’s speech and debate and slam poetry teams. Diagnosed with narcolepsy type 1 at the age of 14, Jordan joined Project Sleep’s Rising Voices to share her story and raise awareness about the often misunderstood condition.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of first-hand stories from peo...

Kêta is a professional songwriter for SonyATV, traveling between LA and Atlanta for her work. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy at age 17 and now, as a Rising Voices trained speaker, she is educating audiences about what it is actually like to have narcolepsy while encouraging them to dream big and live full lives. You can learn more by finding her on Twitter or Instagram at @ThisIs...

Ming Lai lives in Nevada and is a Registered Nurse, permaculturist, and Council Member and co-Office Manager for an antinuclear weapons interfaith peace nonprofit. He has lived with narcolepsy for over 30 years and now, as a Rising Voices writer, hopes to spread awareness and share his story.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of first-hand stories from people living with sleep disorder...

Amy Desmarais is an SEO Analyst living in the Boston, MA area. She was a member of the Board of Directors for the Hypersomnia Foundation from 2017 – 2020, which she became involved with after being diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia in 2015. As a Rising Voices trained speaker, Amy hopes to spread awareness of hypersomnia by sharing her story.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of fir...

Eilís Finnegan completed her Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Interior Architecture Degrees from Auburn University. Eilís was diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy in 2017 as a college sophomore and is now a trained speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program. In her presentation, Eilís educates on the basic facts of narcolepsy while also taking you on a journey through her “...

Rachel Miyazaki is a production coordinator and houseplant enthusiast originally from Hawai’i, now living in Seattle. She struggled with sleep disorders since childhood and is living with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy. Now, as a Rising Voices writer, she wants to advocate for fellow people with narcolepsy, especially students and employees. In this episode, Rachel reads her thoughtful and witty...

Elizabeth Terry is a lifelong “Hoosier,” Indiana University graduate, and recreational therapist. Diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy while in college in 2015, she became a trained speaker through Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program in 2018. By sharing her story, Elizabeth continues to build awareness for this misunderstood neurological condition and encourages others to do the same....

Ebony is a telecommunications engineer and identical twin from Leawood, KS, living with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy. As a trained speaker of Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, Ebony shares her story to help separate facts from myths and spread awareness about this often misunderstood neurological condition.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of first-hand stories from people li...

Matthew Horsnell is a father of three, amateur strength athlete, and science nerd who incorporates invertebrate fossils into rock sculptures. Matt calls Nashville, TN, home. He was diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy in 2007 and now, as a trained speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices leadership program, aims to raise awareness about narcolepsy and sleep.   The Rising Voices Series...

Brittany Matthews is a Texas girl living in a Chicago world. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston. At the age of 19 after more than 12 years of struggling with mysterious symptoms, she learned she had type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy. As a trained speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, Brittany shares her story to health car...

Anna Marr is an LA-based actor, writer, and voiceover artist living with type 1 narcolepsy. When not performing or writing comedy, she enjoys consuming odd ice cream flavors, female-driven TV shows, and theme parks. She is a co-founder of Bluelaces Theatre Co., a non-profit that creates interactive, multi-sensory theatre for individuals with developmental differences. Anna was diagnosed with narco...

Dr. Mindi McKenna is a retired grandmother of five, with a third-degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, living in Kansas City. She has been living with narcolepsy type 2 for over 25 years and shares her story because she hopes to help accelerate diagnosis and improve treatment for this often misunderstood condition. As a speaker with Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, she will help us all understan...

Katie Mehin is the Director of Career Services for a public school district in Arizona specializing in Career and Technical Education. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys. Entering her sophomore year of college, she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and cataplexy, almost 5 years after the initial onset of symptoms. Katie hopes to spread awareness of this neurological...

Bob Cloud is a retired lawyer from Ohio, now living in Northern Vermont. He married an Indiana girl, with whom he has two children. Bob practiced family, criminal, and general law for 30 years, during which time he learned to live with narcolepsy. His excessive sleepiness, cataplexy, and related symptoms appeared at age 33, during Bob’s first year of night law school. Now, many years later, and as...

Sheila Coutts is a retired pediatric nurse with an interest in health education and wildlife rehabilitation living in Nova Scotia, Canada. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy after 25 years of symptoms. As a trained Rising Voices speaker, she shares her story to educate others and help bring sleep disorders to the mainstream of society and medicine.   The Rising Voices Series features a variety of f...