The Mic Dropped on Me…
…but I am always ready! Please view and share. Thank you.
Over 400 virtual audience members did not hear or see my talk at NIH’s Advancing ME/CFS Research: Identifying Targets for Intervention and Learning from #LongCovid. I wanted to take it personal but I know that I have my own platform to share what I want with you.
Chimére L.
Sweeney
LONG COVID PATIENT, ADVOCATE, WRITER, SPEAKER, and MODERATOR,
…and LOVING PETSITTER!
ABOUT CHIMERESince 2020, Chimére L. Sweeney has championed the inclusion of Black women with Long Covid into conversations and opportunities that support their unique storytelling, management of their condition(s) along with treatment, and invite them as authentic stakeholders in advocacy and research.
Chimére is a Long Covid author, speaker, filmmaker, and writer.
Colorado University: Anschutz —
A #LongCovid Dream Come True!
“If you are a health advocate, you have to be relentless!”
No matter the chronic illness, when we choose to advocate for ourselves, our health, and our communities, we have to do it relentlessly. Accepting “no” or “go home” is NO longer acceptable.
—#MEAction’s and The Long Covid Survival Guide Panel.
Great News!
I am excited to share that I wrote a chapter in
The Long Covid Survival Guide.
Edited and curated by writer, speaker, consultant, and my good friend, Fiona Lowenstein, The Long Covid Survival Guide, released in early November 2022, is already in its second print!
I wrote a transformative love letter to Pastor Paula Murray, my Godmother, who served as a compassionate and loving caretaker while I was extremely ill with Covid-19.
I also share how Long Covid communities can choose caretakers and care partners on their health journeys.
“I just read your chapter and like always, it was…thought-provoking and heartwarming.”
—Sequoia S. Thompson, my best friend.
PHILOSOPHYWhen I first told my story, I knew there would be millions of Black women who would follow my path in the hospital, doctors’ offices, and at their homes. They would share in my experiences and need genuine, compassionate support.
It has always been my goal to offer what I didn’t initially receive.
It is my belief that every Black woman and family is entitled to education on the prevention, maintenance, and treatment of Long Covid.
I won’t stop until researchers, doctors, and policy makers recognize that the treatment of Long Covid in Black families is an essential right — not just a privilege for some.
READ MORE OF MY WRITING HERE:
Through thoughtful, lighthearted, and intimate storytelling, I share the impact Long Covid makes on my mental, physical, emotional, and financial health.
Century Foundation: The Toll Long Covid Takes on a Black Woman.
She Knows: ‘Could You Hold Me Longer, Please'?’ Reclaiming Touch & Intimacy as a Black Woman with Long Covid (Feb. 2022).
Huffington Post: Here's What Happened When I Told Congress The Black And Ugly Truth About Long COVID (May 2021).
Medium: I Have All the Underwear I Need.
“Before Long Covid, I was an award-winning middle school teacher. In this photo, I was looking intently into the future with dreams of planning more middle school closing ceremonies and then becoming an administrative educational leader.
So much has changed since Long Covid entered my life. Yet I still look at this photo as an integral part of my future. While what I see has changed, my mission is even more clear…
…every Black woman and family deserves to be represented, educated, and treated during their Long Covid journey.
Chimére L. Smith • Educator — STILL!