I Can Relate with Jessica Burns

James has been suffering from long Covid for the past 5 months with no end in sight.

Long Covid is a term used to describe the effects of Covid-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness.

James is 30 and said he was the healthiest he had ever been before he caught Covid. He warns young people of the danger of having the attitude of thinking just because you are young and healthy you will be fine.

James says that from the research he has done 10%-30% of people who catch Covid are suffering with lasting effects like his.

He urges people to follow the rules and get vaccinated when you can.

He shares with us the symptoms he is suffering with, including extreme fatigue and brain fog. He says this has taken a toll on not just on his mental health but also on his family’s who are currently taking care of him as he is unable to do many basic activities without feeling exhausted.

He says if you know someone who is suffering from long-covid to not just reach out and ask how their mental health is but also to reach out to their support system as care-givers often are not thought about.

Jesus Eddie Campa is the former Police Chief in Marshall, Texas.

He shares the racism he experienced during this time serving as the first minority (Mexican) Police Chief of a racially divided community and how he was eventually bullied out of this position.

We discuss the main form of police misconduct that he witnessed which was assault/unnecessary use of force and the racism he was up against in the community and in the police department.

He makes a point of saying he truly believes that 99% of police officers are good guys but that 1% can really shape a culture.

He shares the initiatives he took to improve the relationship the public has with police. How he created and implemented the No Colors No Labels Initiative designed to remove the preconceived notion that the Police were racially motivated.

This and many other positive impacts he had won him in 2017 the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian of the Year by the NAACP

This episode is in recognition of the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.

“One year ago, George Floyd was murdered at the hands of police, a day that sparked protests for social justice worldwide. Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for more than nine minutes.”

- USA Today

Jeron shares his experience growing up in a home witnessing domestic violence. He was just four when he witnessed an altercation where his father almost killed his mother. 

He shares the profound impacts this has had on him and his own intimate relationships.

He has, as an adult, confronted his past and done a great deal of work on himself to get him to where he is today.

Charlotte gives an insight into what it is like to ride the wave of fame on instagram and the realities that come with that. Her sister, Eugenie Bouchard, is a professional tennis player and as her career took off Charlotte experienced tens of thousands of people following her on instagram (she now has 100k followers).

While she enjoyed the excitement and newness of the experience it was not long before she was confronted with the darker side the spot light. She shares how this popularity gained the unwanted attention of a cyber stalker whose obsession became a safety concern for her and her inner circle.

Charlotte give practical tips of how to be safe online and how to set healthy boundaries with social media. A key piece of advice was to make that mindset shift from using your phone as a tool instead of a toy.

Two generations of women, from baby boomer to millennial, discuss how attitudes towards sex and gender roles have changed in one generation.

We dive back into the mindset of our teenage selves coming of sexual maturity to understand the similarities and differences that decades and backgrounds have had on our sexual experiences and understanding of what it meant to be a woman.

We also covered topics on consent, rape & safety issues so please note this episode may be triggering.

Jessica Lynn was born a man but knew since the age of four that she wanted to be a female. She shares her journey of how she tried to cut off her own genitals at the age of seven; how she lost the love of her life in a tragic car accident; and how after she transitioned at 45, she lost custody over her youngest child due to the fact that she was transgender.

Jessica tells us how her story of discrimination in the court has gone on to help change laws. She travels the world sharing her story to remind us all that trans rights are human rights.

Rachel shares with us her journey of how she went from being a wife to a caregiver to a widower at age 31. Her husband was diagnosed with leukaemia blood cancer when she was 28 and he came off life support 2 years after. We are taken on her journey of caregiving for years before becoming a young widow. She shares the dark journey she had after he died: how she struggled with alcohol and loss of self worth. Rachel has gone on to write a book called “Wife, Widow, Now What?” which helps others navigate the new world you are thrown into when a loved one is diagnosed with an illness.

Pramit can break his life up into two parts: life with his vision and life without. He took a prescribed medication for joint pains and almost overnight lost his sight. He shares his journey of loosing his confidence and not leaving the house for two years. He describes how far he has come and how he feels at peace and content. He has gone on to develop a voice control app to help the visionally impaired maintain their independence. Pramit’s story provides an insight into what it’s like to live in a world you can no longer see.

Lauren walks us through her journey of being adopted growing up: how she felt completely loved and never felt this gaping whole that is described in movies. Lauren went on to adopt two daughters herself and explains how hard the adoption process is. She urges those looking to adopt to not give up and talks about the instant bond she felt when she saw her children. Later in life, she found her birth family and shares how special it has been for her to have made these connections.

This is a powerful story that reminds us that families are made in all kinds of ways.

Bisi Alimi is a Nigerian gay rights activist, public speaker, blog writer and HIV advocate who gained international attention when he became the first Nigerian to come out on television.

We speak about the dangers of being LGBT in non-tolerant countries where rights and social acceptance are far from achieved.

Bisi shares his story of the events that happened after he publicly came out: how he lost his acting career; was brutally beaten in his home; and had to flee Nigeria to live in asylum in the UK for fear of his safety. ⁣