Shira Strongin is the definition of a bad***. She is someone that I admire for many reasons. Shira, is a student, intern, daughter, stigma fighter, and an advocate. She has dealt with numerous obstacles in her life that have led her to where she is today.
At a young age, she started a blog using the pen name sick chicks, where she described her journey of growing up with chronic illnesses. Soon, she grabbed the attention of an East Coast non-profit who decided to pick up and support her Sick Chicks name and ideas. After that, she was asked to speak at large conferences, which Shira originally felt uneasy about because she wanted to keep her identity hidden, and wanted to be known as the Sick Chick.
She became an advocate and leader for so many people who suffered from other chronic illnesses. As she got older, her name and message continued to grow to what they are today.
She now has a powerful platform where women can come together to share their stories of living with different disabilities and illnesses and finding comfort through the community she has built.
I first found out about the club Sick Chicks on my college campus through my good friend Kati Chalabian, who is the current president of our chapter. I loved the message and wanted to get involved. Kati also told me a little bit about Shira, and how she created this powerful community of women uniting together to support one and other through their battles and struggles of living with chronic illnesses. From there, I joined the club and reached out to Shira to share her beautiful story of resilience with my readers.
I hope reading this article will inspire you, as well as teach you about someone who I truly admire for being such a strong young woman who wants to make a positive impact on the world around her.
Quote: “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” - Maya Angelou
What is one word you would use to describe yourself?
“Resilient,” Shira confidently stated.
Shira has gone through her fair share of challenges, but has been able to overcome all of them and through it all she has been resilient.
What would you tell your younger self?
Shira explained how she has perfectionist tendencies and she wishes she didn’t focus on trying to be so perfect, when she was younger. She would tell her younger self that being perfect isn’t necessary.
“You don’t have to be perfect and put together all the time.”
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Throughout her life, Shira has met many inspiring women, but her biggest inspiration she said is her mom. She credits her mom for helping her get to where she is today. Her mom has fought hard to make sure Shira is getting the best possible healthcare.
“She has showed me how to be very strong.”
“I hope I can be half of the woman she is.”
What is your dream job?
Currently, Shira is interning for the Office of Medical Policy for the FDA, and her dream job would be similar to what she does today, but not at an intern level.
“I really like working in non-partisan government, especially on health policy.”
What has been the biggest obstacle for you in your life?
“I mean overall I would say my health in the varying capacity, mental and physical, but if I had to pick one thing out of all of that I would probably say my fight for endometrial ablation.”
Shira has had several large obstacles in her life, but her biggest one related to her period. During her teen years, she would be in the hospital during her period because she would lose blood to the point where she needed to have blood transfusions. She told me that she would have to email professors and explain why she was missing a large amount of school.
“I would literally be in the hospital once a month getting blood transfusions.”
This was a large problem that could only be fixed by one solution. Unfortunately, the one solution is controversial because it would leave her unable to have kids of her own. Shira and her parents struggled to find a doctor that would perform that surgery for someone her age. She started her search for a doctor at age 17. Fortunately, at 19, she was able to find a doctor who would perform the surgery, and since then, she has only had two blood transfusions and has been feeling better.
While Shira was telling me her story, I could tell in her emotions and words that this was extremely frustrating. It took her two years to find a doctor who would listen to her and her needs. Her story brings up an interesting yet constant debate in the medical world, as many young women struggle with their hormones, yet doctors won’t help because of certain beliefs in society.
What stood out to me, while listening to her story, was when she said doctors told her, “you won’t find a husband if you do this” and how people won’t love her. Shira told me that it was frustrating because not every woman wants or can be a mother, and not every woman wants to get married.
She told them, "what if I don’t even want to get married?"
She was struggling in pain and exhausted from being in and out of the hospital every month; meanwhile, her doctor is telling her she won’t find a man? I was shocked at how inconsiderate and rude that is for a medical professional to say to a patient.
Since her ablation, she has only needed two blood transfusions.
Shira’s story is truly inspiring, and it all goes back to her word to describe herself, which is resilient. I appreciate Shira for sharing such a personal and eye-opening story.
What inspired you to start Sick Chicks?
“I’ve been sick pretty much my entire life, like since I was a baby.”
Shira has been sick her entire life. She would have to miss out on many experiences that other kids could have because she was sick, receiving treatment, or in the hospital. As a way to cope with missing out on certain activities, at around the age of 11 or 12, she started to blog about her experiences under the pen name Sick Chicks and kept her identity hidden. But soon, her blog started to get a lot of attention and got picked up from an East Coast non-profit. Soon after, she started speaking at large conferences, and her identity was no longer hidden.
She wanted to create a community where women could relate and share experiences of dealing with chronic illnesses and disabilities in a safe space. By age 15, the community had turned into an organization, and a few years later, it hit non-profit status.
“I saw this need for a community that wasn’t really being filled at the time.”
What is the main message behind Sick Chicks?
“Uniting and empowering women with varying disabilities and illnesses.”
Shira hopes the community can help women cope with their symptoms and the emotional toll illnesses and disabilities can have on someone.
“You can’t get to empowerment without coping.”
What do you hope women get out of sick chicks?
Creating a safe and non-judgmental community where women can share their experiences of getting testing accommodations, missing out on events, and not being able to do the same things as their peers. She doesn’t want women to feel alone or isolated because of their illness or disability.
What would you want more people to know about your mission with sick chicks?
Main focus is to empower women, but she wanted to be clear that everyone is welcome and accepted. Sick Chicks focuses and has more resources relating to supporting women.
How can other women and people get involved in sick chicks?
There are several ways women can get involved through a club on your college campus or town. You can also get involved through social media, events, Mighty Network, and through stories.
For more information on involvement here is the Sick Chicks website.
What do you hope sick chicks will look like 10 years from now?
Shira hopes that there are chapters of Sick Chicks in every state. She would also like to see new leadership and would like to have a Sick Chicks summit annually.
How have you been staying busy while in quarantine?
Shira has been spending her extra time by doing activities, such as Zoom happy hour with friends, baking, listening to podcasts, watching Netflix, and spending time with her dogs. She is also taking some online summer classes to be productive and to create more structure in her life during the time of quarantine.
I want to give a huge thank you to Shira Strongin for letting me interview her and sharing her story with my friends, family, followers, and readers. I am beyond inspired and grateful for the community that Shira has built.
Forever Always,
Emily
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