Episode 10: Dawnia Marie IS Brightside 365GUEST: Dawnia Marie, MS Advocate, and Founder and CEO of Brightside 365https://media.blubrry.com/incluse_this/content.blubrry.com/incluse_this/S1_E10_Dawnia_Marie_is_Brightside_365.mp3March is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month, and we're celebrating with my very dear friend and fellow MS Warrior, Dawnia Marie. We talk about everything from the pros and cons of self-help groups, to our relationships with providers and celebrating our diagnoses. MS is a debilitating disease, but it doesn't dim our light. And my friend Dawnia Marie, a true representation of Brightside 365, is an amazing example and reminder for all of us to - keep living! #DisabilityPride

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OUR GUEST: Dawnia MarieDawnia Marie was born in Pittsburgh, PA. At the age of 9, she moved to Los Angeles because her father was pursuing his music career. Dawnia resided in Inglewood, CA and graduated from Inglewood High. At the age of 20, Dawnia moved to Atlanta, GA. She received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from NCCU and a Masters degree in Corporate Finance and Project Management.In 2006, Dawnia's body went numb from her chest down and in her hands. After a trip to the ER, a neurologist visit, and hours of MRI's, Dawnia was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. In 2013 Dawnia moved back to California and in 2014 she was taking a class through the MS Society at USC. Through the class Dawnia began volunteering with the MS Society. This lead to being featured in a USC magazine, assisting in the office at the MS Society, being flown to Seattle, Washington to film a resilience campaign video, featured on the cover of the MS Momentum magazine, featured in multiple articles, becoming a District Activist Leader which she visits local government offices, flies to the capitol in California and Washington, DC to advocate for bills that benefit people living with MS and other sicknesses and diseases, was a part of the WeAreIllmatic campaign for women of color diagnosed with MS, an interview with KTLA regarding the Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA, a video for Yahoo Lifestyles, We Believe campaign video for the MS Society, and asked to participate in a video for the Hilton family.The most important thing was becoming a self-help group leader. Currently, Dawnia is a self-help group facilitator for adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s for the National MS Society. Seeing a need for a self-help group for teens, Dawnia spearheaded a self-help group for High School students and quickly spread to College Students called MS Youngsters that began in 2017. The MS Youngsters lovingly refer to her as their MS momma.In 2020 Dawnia received the Inspirational Person of the Year Award for the Southern California/ Nevada Chapter of the NMSS. She also received the 2020 L.O.V.E. (Ladies Operating Very Effectively) Overcomer Award. Most recently she received the 2020 Volunteer Inspiration Award.Dawnia is a caregiver for her father who is also diagnosed with MS that is now bedridden. Since he lives in Pittsburgh she coordinates everything by phone, trips back to Pittsburgh to go to doctor's appointments with her dad, has relationships with every person involved in his care, and family that still lives in Pittsburgh. True to her reputation, she maintained a positive outlook even after her diagnosis. Dawnia knows that God wasn't bored one day and allowed her to be diagnosed with MS. She knows there is a purpose in every challenge and avoids asking "why me?".