Life & Work with Daniella Medina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniella Medina.

Hi Daniella, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Growing up, I had always had health issues. It wasn’t until 2020 after having Covid that my health immediately spiraled. Painful gastrointestinal issues, seizures, bleeding from the eyes, vomiting blood, dangerously low white blood cell count, the list goes on. Towards the end of 2020, I was declining so fast with no answers that death was the only certain one.

That’s when I decided to travel and complete my bucket list. I posted my first solo trip out of the hospital to TikTok and overnight it went viral. I was getting so many comments and messages saying I changed people’s views on living so I continued to document my journey. Which brought amazing places and connections. The most important ones were the people telling me they had lost loved ones with similar issues.

The money I made from TikTok went to genetic testing and medical bills. A year after going viral, I finally have a diagnosis: Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. A fatal rare genetic disorder that, now, is being tended to properly. It’s a bittersweet moment, the life expectancy is 40-50 years old but it’s an answer after being gaslit into thinking it was all in my head.

Now I dedicate my time to vEDS awareness, disability rights, and healthcare reform awareness. I have since become a signed disability model and am in the process of proposing a proclamation for the city of Phoenix to recognize May as EDS Awareness Month. This journey has been a rough one, traumatic even, but it’s one that will leave a legacy behind and I’m so proud of that.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggles I faced were in hospitals and online. Some people tend to not believe things they don’t understand or can’t see. Doctors & hundreds of people online accused me of lying or imagining it.

A common misconception was I was scamming when the only donation sites I posted were for Ryan House and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Now the struggles I face are accessibility as I am an ambulatory mobility aid user.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Awareness and traveling while disabled is my brand as an influencer. I became a disabled model with an agency in hopes to be the face for people who look like me, it’s a recent contract so I have not been featured with big brands yet.

I have a feature on USA Today and The Arizona Republic as well as The Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Society. I have also started a podcast to give a more unfiltered perspective on disability and illness. I’m most of proud what I’m doing for my community with my platform.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Vulnerability. Everything I do/post, I do from a very transparent perspective. Raw and open is the best way to make sure my audience can feel a bit of what I can.

Contact Info:

• Email: dani.adventures.2020@gmail.com
• Website: https://beacons.ai/daniellescats/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dani.adventure
• Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@daniellescats

Image Credits:
Theresa Bowman