Posts

Black and white image of Karina, a woman with shaved head. She is wearing glitter eye shadow and red lipstick.
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Guest blog posts and podcast interviews

Ehlers-Dan… What? Most people - and sometimes even medical professionals - do not know how to spell Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at all, let alone that they would know anything about the various symptoms that are associated with the rare illness.…
A woman with short brown hair sits on a white carousel horse and smiles.

Learning to accept life with a chronic illness

It is not easy to live with a chronic condition. All of a sudden, your whole life changes, and nothing is like it used to be. You fall into a big hole that does not seem to have a bottom, and it is challenging to get out of it again. However,…
A black and white shot of Jameela, a woman with long black hair who rests her head on her hand
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Interview with The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing actress and advocate Jameela Jamil for ABILITY Magazine. Jameela Jamil is an advocate for social justice, body neutrality, LGBTQ rights, and for a while now, she has also been using her public…

Why I have changed my opinion about therapy as a chronically ill person

Only two years ago, I would have never considered therapy. Well, I guess life changes, and even my stubborn self can change her mind. Up until today, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with therapy, but I feel it changed my life for the…
Karina wears a red The Mighty Shirt and a blue flower in her short, brown hair. She is smiling.

A letter to myself after getting diagnosed with EDS in 2014

This is a letter I wrote to myself right after getting diagnosed with EDS in 2014. It’s all the things I would have needed to hear from doctors, friends and family. And it’s also advice I gave myself. It was published by The Mighty in…
Black and white photo of Karina, a woman with 7 mm shaved hair and huge round earrings.

Let’s get real. This is how 2020 really was for me.

Over the last weeks, I got many kind messages from followers of my blog, often saying, “The way you handle your life with all your conditions is so inspiring. How do you do this?” Let me try to give you an unfiltered insight into my life…
A screenshot of a zoom call with Ian Harding (left), a man with short brown hair and a full beard, and Karina Sturm (right), a woman with shaved brown hair and large, leaf-shaped earrings.
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In conversation with Ian Harding: actor, author, activist

In my role as journalist for ABILITY Magazine and as advocate for the Ehlers-Danlos community, the German organization Chronisch Cool contacted me and connected me to Ian Harding, better known as Ezra Fitz in Pretty Little Liars. Ian is…
Black and white photo of Jade, a young girl with shoulder-long, blonde hair and a tube up her nose. She faces towards her left hand in which she holds part of her IV
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Watch ‘We Are Visible’ online ON DEMAND

My documentary film ‘We Are Visible,’ featuring people living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome all across the globe, is now available ON DEMAND. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, most events and film screenings for ‘We Are Visible’…
Cassandra, a woman with long, black hair is buying pharmacy productsTrust me, I'm Sick
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Working for Ability Magazine

I have the great honor to be working with Ability Magazine, one of my favorite publications by and for people with disabilities. Some of my work: Director Sarah Stewart and her all-female crew gave great insight into many of the…
Lucas and Lotte, two young children, are in their classroom playing on a table. Lucas has blonde hair and wears a red "car" shirt, and Lotte has blonde, long hair bound to a ponytail and wears a white shirt.Karina Sturm
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Press about ’We Are Visible’

Interviews and Podcasts: EDS Awareness Podcast with Dr. Linda Bluestein I had the honor to be interviewed by Dr. Linda Bluestein, an EDS expert for a podcast featured by EDS Awareness. In this interview, we discuss the challenges of making…
Filmed from the end of a room. In front of the room is a large screen showing 'We Are Visible', Karina's film about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.Jürgen Grunert
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What people say about ‘We Are Visible’

Writers, Journalists & Disability Advocates Caitlin Hernandez This engaging, poignant film captures the triumphs, trials, and truths experienced by several different people living with the same condition. Viewers will come to…
White letters on black background: You are faking it
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We Are Visible – Trailers

Many of the people who know me well would tell you that I am not a person that can do ”short.” I like to talk a lot, prefer to write long articles - the more words, the better, and love to involve more than one person in order to show a…