After 18 years of living with the symptoms of narcolepsy, I was diagnosed with type 1 narcolepsy in March 2020. One of the most powerful resources that I found were the personal stories of other folks living with narcolepsy. I felt less isolated and alone – I finally felt seen, knowing there were other people out there who understood my experiences. These stories helped me to better understand my experiences, to see all the ways that my narcolepsy was affecting my life beyond just the list of symptoms. As I learned about the importance of personal narratives in raising awareness and combatting stigma, I decided that I wanted to share my own story.
In 2021, I participated in Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program. This evidence-based training program taught us how to craft our own experiences into engaging and enlightening narratives, and gave us the tools and expertise to confidently share our stories.
Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to share my story in a variety of settings. I’m always struck by the reactions of those in the crowd – seeing them come along with me through the emotions of the journey. Their questions are thoughtful, and their feedback is powerful. My talk has changed lives – from medical students telling me how my story has impacted how they will work with their patients, to attendees coming up to me afterward to share that my story made them realize that they might have narcolepsy, or that I have inspired them to better advocate for themselves with their doctor and fight for a diagnosis.
Rising Voices Story Sharing Series – Project Sleep
Read about my presentation to students in the Brain Sciences course at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School:
My First In-Person Rising Voices Presentation is at BROWN
Speaking Engagements
- Guest Speaker for the course Psychology of Learning – Learning and Memory, Sections 1 & 2, Bridgewater State University – 2025
- Psychiatry Residents, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University – 2025
- Brown Sleep Society, Brown University – 2025
- First Year Brain Science Students, Brown University – 2025
- Psychiatry Residents, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University – 2024
- First Year Brain Science Students, Brown University – 2024
- Psychiatry Residents, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University – 2023
- First Year Brain Science Students, Brown University – 2023
- Project Sleep’s Rising Voices Story Sharing Series – 2022
- First Year Brain Science Students, Brown University – 2022
Fundraising Pages
2023 Sleep In Fundraising Campaign
2022 Sleep In Fundraising Campaign
2021 Sleep In Fundraising Campaign
Press
Sleeping in for sleep disorders – Cranston Herald
Rising Voices: Meet Richelle, Film Industry Sleep Advocate – Project Sleep
Sleep In 2022 Made Peace with Sleep – Project Sleep
Project Sleep fundraiser for narcolepsy, sleep health; personal cause for Warwick woman – RINewsToday
Good @ Naps – Wake Up Narcolepsy
Sleep In 2021 Made World Peace with Sleep – Project Sleep
I am dedicated to sharing my story with others – if you have an event that you would like me to speak at, please reach out!
