LC Awareness Day

March 15, 2025

Last year I was in shock that I myself had a disease that had an awareness day. I couldn’t fathom how that had happened. This year, I used the day to share what life is like behind the scenes, aka not on social media. The feedback was “you’re so brave to share your story.” Sharing our stories is the only way to educate and build empathy which in turn leads to action.

Long COVID Awareness Day this year also coincided with the five year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. NBC 5 Chicago did a series of interviews with medical professionals, researchers, and people impacted by the disease. Lucky for me, my neighbor is a producer at the station and arranged for me to be interviewed.

Patrick Fazio and his amazing cameraman (who I cannot remember his name) sat with Brian and I for over an hour to listen to our story. Patrick is a gifted listener and asked thoughtful questions. His cameraman set the scene to help tell our story. The interview left me exhausted but it was so worth it to help people understand how Long COVID can impact the average person.

Interview with Patrick Fazio of NBC 5 Chicago