In this episode, Flic Manning chats with Catherine Hanna, a proud Sunflower and road safety advocate. Catherine shares her journey with post-concussion syndrome, the misconceptions surrounding an invisible brain injury, and how writing poetry has helped her process trauma and rebuild her identity.

• Post-concussion syndrome can occur without hitting your head or losing consciousness

• Brain injuries don't always show up on CT scans as damage can be at a cellular level

• The "mild" in mild traumatic brain injury refers to severity classification, not symptom impact

• Catherine manages her condition by wearing earplugs, planning rest breaks, and avoiding overstimulating environments

• The Sunflower lanyard helps Catherine carry earplugs and indicate her hidden disability

Visit our website, Facebook, or Instagram for more resources.

Check out Catherine Hannah Poetry here

This episode was recorded on Instagram Live.

Hollie Christian Brooks joined us to discuss her new play "Yawn: A Chronically Fatigued Play", which draws from her personal experience with ME/CFS to educate audiences about non-visible disabilities and create new connections with the community.

We discuss everything, from symptoms and periods to self-discovery and the power of the Sunflower.  

• ME/CFS often develops following viral infections like glandular fever, with Hollie’s diagnosis coming after years of recurring symptoms.
• The fatigue associated with ME/CFS differs from normal tiredness in that it cannot be alleviated by sleep and often includes flu-like symptoms, pain, and cognitive difficulties.
• Hollie created "Yawn" as both a personal healing journey and a way to connect with others who understand the isolation of chronic illness.

"Yawn" is designed to be accessible and inclusive, with concession tickets available for anyone who self-identifies as having a disability.
 
 If you are experiencing any issues discussed in this podcast, please contact your healthcare practitioner.

You can connect with Hollie on Instagram @yawn_play and find links to purchase tickets in her bio. 

Hosted by Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a rating and review.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website

Tasha Sorhaindo shares her journey living with multiple chronic health conditions and founding her charity, Chronically Marvellous, that supports individuals with non-visible disabilities.

Tasha is autistic and lives with systemic lupus, dilated cardiomyopathy leading to heart failure, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, arthritis and osteoporosis. After being able to run marathons and becoming gravely ill with only two weeks to live, Tasha decided to set up Chronically Marvellous to support others in a similar position with support groups that carers can also attend, counselling services and the provision of wheelchairs and electric scooters, as she understands the feeling of isolation.

As a mum, her children are her priority, especially as they also have non-visible disabilities, including autism and the genetic long QT wave syndrome. Balancing being there for them, with chronic pain, fatigue, and breathing difficulties, is hard work, but it also gives her true insight into what services to offer.

Support

• Chronically Marvellous 
• Instagram @chronicallymarvellous
• Facebook /chronciallymarvellous
• LinkedIn chronically-marvellous

Hosted by Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and share it to increase awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website

Ant Raje shares his journey of living with ADHD and deafness in one ear, exploring how they impact focus, communication, and identity. He challenges common misconceptions, reflects on the power of empathy, and shares why creating spaces where people feel seen and heard matters more than having all the answers.

• Living with both ADHD and hearing loss creates unique challenges as paying attention (needed for hearing) is complicated by ADHD-related focus issues
• Common misconceptions about ADHD include assuming someone isn't listening when they're doodling or not making eye contact
• People with ADHD and hearing disabilities can make excellent leaders due to their strong empathy and creative thinking abilities
• Clear written instructions benefit both people with disabilities and those from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Creating safe spaces where people feel seen and heard is often more important than solving problems for them
• Two simple ways to create a more accessible world: include disabled people in decision-making processes and practice basic kindness

Visit our website or find us on Facebook and Instagram 

Murray Golder shares his experience with epilepsy and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), highlighting how this support enables him to continue working full-time while managing his condition safely.

Murray explains that his absence seizures, which can cause him to lose awareness for 20 seconds to 2 minutes, can place him in danger as he isn’t conscious of what he is doing. And more recently, as a consequence of the medication, Murray's memory function has deteriorated rapidly.

• PIP provides essential support towards Murray's costly transport needs and medication expenses

 If you are experiencing any issues discussed in this podcast, please get in touch with your healthcare practitioner.

Support

DWP PIP 

PIPPS is a Sunflower member, specialising in providing legal support and online advice for tribunal appeals for PIP, ADP, ESA, and UC Claims.

Hosted by Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and share it to increase awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website

Laura Pedernuzzo shares her experiences living with multiple disabilities and provides invaluable insights into disability advocacy. She explains how both visible and invisible disabilities shape her daily interactions with the world, highlighting the unique challenges of each.

• Living with cerebral palsy creates physical barriers, but the fatigue it causes is often misunderstood
• People with borderline personality disorder are often mischaracterised as manipulative when they're simply trying to cope with intense emotions.
• The concept of "crip time" acknowledges that disabled people don't have "the same 24 hours" as non-disabled people.
• Approximately 44% of Australians have low literacy levels, making accessible communication essential.
• Easy Read uses simple language and images to make information accessible to people with low literacy.
• Continued COVID-19 precautions are vital for creating truly inclusive spaces
• Small actions like acknowledging access needs show disabled people they matter and their needs aren't burdens but rights.

Andrea Carstensen, a double Master's student at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Sunflower Friend.

Andrea discovered the Sunflower at Gatwick Airport after moving from the US to the UK for university. As a young person living with non-visible chronic health conditions, she shares her journey from Sunflower lanyard user to advocate. Through high-level UN advocacy and campus policy reform, Andrea has successfully championed the adoption of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower at LSE through the Student Union, ensuring a legacy of inclusivity that extends beyond her time at the university.

If you are experiencing any issues discussed in this podcast, please get in touch with your healthcare practitioner.

For information:

• Learn more about the Sunflower hdsunflower.com

Hosted by Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and share it to increase awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website

Erin Philpott shares her journey with Stargardt disease, revealing how she navigated diagnosis as a teenager and now balances motherhood while advocating for invisible disabilities in the workplace and beyond.
• Erin faces significant daily challenges with transportation as a legally blind mother to a five-year-old
• Often encounters misconceptions as she doesn't "look blind" without using a cane or guide dog
• Erin chairs an employee-led committee advocating for disability, accessibility and inclusion
• Erin emphasises that accessibility benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities
• Advocates for building accessibility into initial designs rather than adding as afterthoughts
• Challenges the stigma that disability means limitation: "Make it accessible and we'll come in droves"

Please keep the conversation going via our Website, on Facebook, or on Instagram.

We welcome Sean Ewart and Manny Caro from the Spondylitis Association of America to provide an overview of Spondyloarthritis (SpA), a family of closely related inflammatory diseases that affect millions worldwide yet remain significantly under-recognised and diagnosed. Despite affecting more people than rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and ALS combined, SpA struggles with awareness.

The primary disease in this family is ankylosing spondylitis (AS), also known as axial spondyloarthritis. This condition primarily affects the spine but can impact other joints throughout the body. Primary symptoms include inflammatory back pain, stiffness, reduced flexibility, fatigue, and sometimes spinal fusion.

If you are experiencing any issues discussed in this podcast, please get in touch with your healthcare practitioner.

For support and information:

• Spondylitis Association of America
• National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society UK
• Arthritis Ireland
• Axial Spondylitis Support Program Australia

Hosted by Chantal Boyle and Lynn Smith, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and share it to increase awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website

Terri Louise Brown has Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS), experiencing frequent relapses and daily pain. In this conversation, Terri shares her journey from MS diagnosis at 27 to founding the charity Talks With MS. The charity provides community support for those living with multiple sclerosis. 

Cultural attitudes in BAME communities can create barriers to seeking medical help for chronic conditions, which is why Terri is committed to being the voice for the voiceless and encouraging people to seek medical and emotional support.

We discuss how her personal experiences as a Black woman navigating disability have shaped her passionate advocacy for greater accessibility, representation, and understanding of non-visible disabilities. 

If you are experiencing any issues discussed in this podcast, please get in touch with your healthcare practitioner.

For support and information:

• Talks With MS
• MS Society UK
• MS Ireland
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society USA
• MS Plus Australia
  
  

Hosted by Chantal Boyle, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
 
If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and share it to increase awareness and understanding of non-visible disabilities.

Find out more about the Sunflower by visiting the website hdsunflower.com

Music by "The Emerald Ruby" Emerald Ruby Bandcamp and Emerald Ruby website